Unlocking the Past
by Musical Soul
Summary: Finn has secrets. Dark parts of his past that he would rather no one knew about. But when he bumps into a beautiful woman in town, he can't help but be drawn to her. An unlikely friendship forms, but will Finn be able to share all of himself with her? And can she share her own troubled past with him? - mostly fluffy, but a few dark themes
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note - Hello all! Here's the first chapter of my new fic, Unlocking the Past. It's going to be a decently long one, so prepare yourselves! As the summary says, mostly a romance fic, a couple of dark parts, but for the most part it's pretty fluffy. I'll try to put up a chapter a day! Hope you enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Frozen, or any of its characters.**

* * *

Chapter 1

A cold breeze swept through the trees, blowing open Finn's unfastened coat as he stared down at the village below, glinting in the late afternoon sun. His solemn gray eyes searched the town, looking for a quiet way in, a way that would let him attract as little attention as possible. Beside him, a black horse stamped a hoof impatiently. They had been on the run together now for months. As much as Finn wanted to keep moving, to run as far away as possible from his past, he knew that the mountains were no place for a man in the winter.

Shifting slightly on his feet, he reached out a hand to rub his horse's velvety nose. "I know, Roar. I'd like to keep going as well, but we both know that winter is about to get worse. I think this might be where we have to settle down for the winter."

Roar snorted in what Finn could only guess was disapproval. "I know, buddy. But I'd rather not freeze to death."

Finn put his foot in a stirrup and hoisted himself onto Roar's back, adjusting his position as Roar pranced, eager to be on the move. Taking one more glance at the village he was about to call home for the winter, Finn tugged gently on the reins, directing Roar away from the edge of the precipice where they had been standing. Returning to the path, Finn turned east and made his way slowly down the mountainside.

* * *

Down in the village of Arendelle, people bustled about the streets, finishing up their tasks for the day before the sun set. Winter hadn't been too harsh so far this year, and most of the villagers attributed that to their beloved Queen's influence, but it was still unwise to be caught outside after dark when the weather turned cold. No one paid much attention to the rider that trotted his horse quickly down the cobbled streets. The young man stopped outside an inn that looked promising, hitching his horse to a post at the corner of the building.

Inside, the tavern was warm and inviting. A roaring fire was blazing in the hearth on the right wall, surrounded by a collection of men at small tables. Pieces of conversations drifted into Finn's ears, but he ignored them, walking to the bar and leaning against it. A large man with short salt-and-pepper hair and bloodshot eyes was polishing a mug with a rag. _This man has clearly had a few too many pints of his own product, _Finn thought.

"What can I get fer ya, lad?"

"I was wondering if you had a room for rent. It's been a long day of travel, and I'm looking for a comfortable place to sleep."

"Not from around here, eh? Well, ya come t' tha right place. I've got a room fer ya, and a good hot meal if ya'd like."

Finn smiled at the portly man. "That sounds wonderful. Is there a stables around back? I've left my horse out front."

"Sure is. Should be a stable boy back there ta take yer horse, though I dunno, sometimes that little rascal just takes off on 'is own."

Finn thanked the man and walked back outside, leading Roar around to the back of the building. The stable boy was indeed there, and Finn handed him the reins before tossing him a copper. Breathing in the salty air of the sea, Finn stood at the back of the building a bit longer, looking out at the fjord. In the silence of the early evening, he allowed himself to relax for the first time in months. He felt weeks of built-up tension starting to ease out of his muscles. He had always loved the sight and smell of the sea, and even though he had just arrived, Finn already felt at home in Arendelle. _Maybe I__'ll stay here for more than just the winter._

Walking back inside the tavern, he returned to the bar, paying for his room and meal. A few minutes later, the barman set a steaming bowl of stew in front of him, along with a half-loaf of bread and a mug of ale. Finn practically inhaled the meal, almost scorching his tongue on the hot stew. After months of being on the run and living off what he could hunt or forage in the mountains, a hot meal was a luxury.

The man chuckled at Finn's enthusiasm, pulling up a stool on the other side of the counter to sit across from him. "Hadn't had a good meal in a while I s'pose?"

Finn shook his head, finishing off the last of his stew before downing the entire mug of ale. He let out a contented sigh. "I've been traveling for months. Wonderful stew, by the way."

"Thank ya. So where ya from, if ya've been travelin' fer months?"

A host of unpleasant thoughts suddenly washed over Finn, his gray eyes darkening with his mood. He hunched his shoulders, drawing in on himself. _I hate it when people ask questions. I should have stayed up in the woods. _Finn clenched his jaw before looking back at the man. "I'd rather not get into all that."

"My 'pologies, lad, meant no offense. Just tryin' ta make conversation, see?"

"Yes, well. It's been a long day, I believe I'll retire for the night. Thank you for the meal." Finn stood up from his place at the bar and all but ran up the stairs, leaving a very confused barman behind him.

"Well then." The man shook his head and sighed, reaching for another mug to polish.

Up in his rented room, Finn sat down heavily on the edge of the mattress, putting his head in his hands. He hadn't meant to be so blunt, to leave in such a rush. Home was just a topic that brought back so many terrible memories. Images swirled around in his head.

_His mother, dead on the path to the village, her body broken, her blood seeping into the ground around her._

_His father, yelling, spit flying from his mouth, a hand raised to strike._

_A small child, staring wide-eyed as he snatched a loaf of bread from the table of a house that wasn__'t his own._

_Blood on his own shaking hands._

Finn slammed a fist into the mattress, tears leaking out of his eyes. His breath came in sharp gasps. Minutes went by before he could calm himself. He finally wiped the tears from his eyes, sniffing. Pulling off his boots, he rolled back onto the mattress and stared at the ceiling.

* * *

Elsa sat on the window seat at the large triangular window in her room, her knees drawn up to her chest. A light frost dusted the window sill, creeping up the bottom panes of glass without Elsa noticing. She bit her bottom lip, lost in thought. It had been several months since the Great Thaw, since her sudden and surprising mastery of her powers. She still could hardly believe that she had actually thawed the winter she had placed over Arendelle. _I must have just been caught up in the moment,_ she thought for about the thousandth time.

Elsa had rapidly discovered that she still had very little control over her powers. She could hold them in most of the time, but if she ever got too emotional, she had as little control over her powers as she did over when the sun would rise. Still, Elsa had done her best to keep her word to Anna. The gates hadn't been closed since before her coronation, and she spent as much time as possible with her younger sister, trying to repair their broken relationship.

The frost on the window now covered the whole bottom half, and it was rapidly being converted to ice. Elsa gripped her knees tightly. _Don__'t think about Anna. You know that's a mistake. Stop it. Get a hold of yourself._

It was always hard for her to think about Anna. Inevitably, every time she did, all she could think about were her mistakes, her regrets. Every wrong she had ever done Anna came to mind. She could hear a young Anna's voice in the back of her head, begging her to come out and play. Elsa squeezed her eyes shut tightly. _Stop it! Think about something else!_

But she couldn't. It was as if her brain sought to punish her. An image of Anna lying still in the snow-filled ballroom pervaded her mind. Elsa saw her magic strike Anna's head, a platinum blond streak appearing in her hair. She remembered the gripping fear, thinking she had killed her sister, the frantic horse ride to see the trolls, her father's stern voice saying they were going to lock her away. Conceal, don't feel, that is what he told her. _That never did work, Father._

A soft knock on her door brought Elsa's head up sharply. She tried to speak, but only a whisper of sound escaped her. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Yes?" she said quietly.

Anna's voice floated through the door, slightly muffled. "It's me. Can I come in?"

Elsa looked at the ice covering her window and the seat she was sitting on, panicked. _I can__'t get rid of it this quick, but I can't turn Anna away either._ Sighing in resignation, Elsa stuttered, "Uh, y-yeah, I guess."

The door opened as Anna slipped in, a chink of light from the hall illuminating a strip of carpet before the door was closed again. Anna looked up to see Elsa sitting at the window, and then gasped as she finally noticed the ice spreading across the glass.

"Elsa! What's wrong?" Anna ran over to her, grasping Elsa's freezing hands in her own, ignoring the cold in favor of comforting her sister.

"It's nothing, really," Elsa mumbled. She knew Anna wouldn't buy it, but she just couldn't bring herself to tell Anna what she was feeling. It would break Anna's heart. _Don__'t think it would help to tell her anyway._

The sound of ice creeping up the window caught Elsa's attention, and she tried to stem the flow of her thoughts. Anna noticed the ice as well, and looked at Elsa with concern in her eyes.

"Elsa, tell me what's wrong," Anna pleaded. She squeezed Elsa's hands, then released her grip, reaching up to tuck a strand of Elsa's platinum blond hair behind her ear. "You know I'm here for you."

Elsa shook her head. _This is too hard! Please, just leave me be. I don__'t want to hurt you again._ "Please, Anna, I don't want to talk about it, not right now," she choked out, as a few tears fell, unbidden, down her cheeks.

Anna sighed. They had been in this same predicament several times in the past few months. It was starting to occur more often. Anna had been so sure that everything was fixed after Elsa dispelled the winter, but lately she had been worried that Elsa was still battling some emotional turmoil. She desperately wanted to force it out of her, but instinct told her to wait this time. Reaching up once more, she thumbed away Elsa's tears.

"Alright, we won't talk about it. Not yet."

Elsa blinked in surprise. "Y-you aren't going to force me to talk?"

"Not if you don't want to." Anna chuckled at the look of shock on Elsa's face. "Hey, I can be considerate when I want to. Come here."

Elsa was pulled into a hug, Anna's warm arms wrapped around her. She was grateful for her sister's random, unexpected thoughtfulness. She let her head rest on Anna's shoulder, sighing. A comfortable silence enveloped them, and they sat there for a while, holding each other. The ice on the window slowly started to recede. A few minutes later, the window was completely clear, and Anna pulled back to smile at her. _You__'re too good to me, Anna. I don't deserve this._

"It's getting late. Why don't you get some sleep? I'll come get you in the morning. We're going to go into town for the day. How does that sound?" Anna pulled Elsa to her feet and led her to the edge of the bed.

Elsa nodded. "Thanks," she whispered, looking down at the floor.

Anna grabbed her chin and tilted her head up. "It's what sisters are for." Anna smiled at her one last time before exiting the room, shutting the door closed gently behind her.

Elsa let out a shaky breath and glanced at her thawed window. She knew love was the answer. Knowing _how_ to control her powers was the easy part. The hard part was actually _doing_ it, feeling the love and forgetting about all the fear, the anguish, all the terrors of her past. They were always at the front of her mind. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't push all those negative thoughts and emotions out of her head, and it seemed that fear overrode love in her case.

After changing into her nightgown, Elsa climbed into her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin and sinking into the comfortable mattress. Moonlight shone brightly through her window, washing the room in a soft blue light. The young queen stared at the ceiling for a while, before finally drifting off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The early morning sunlight creeping in through the window of Elsa's bedroom found her already awake, sitting up in bed staring absently at the wall opposite her. It had been another fitful night of sleep, with nightmares plaguing her constantly. Nightmares were a common thing for Elsa. She'd had them frequently, ever since the accident when she and Anna were young. However, her nightmares had lately taken a turn for the worse. The events following her coronation constantly met her in her dreams, especially the one where Anna froze solid because of Elsa's magic. Elsa shuddered at the memory of it.

Rising from bed, Elsa crossed the room to her wardrobe and began searching for something comfortable. She knew Anna would want to drag her all over the village at top speeds, and she planned to dress accordingly. Rifling through the dresses, Elsa bit her lip, thinking. Finally, her gaze settled on a navy blue dress that Anna had recently had made for her. _A tad bit more revealing than I'm used to, but it looks comfortable and easy to move around in. Plus, Anna gave it to me, and I__'ve yet to wear it. She'd like it._

Nodding to herself, Elsa donned the dress, staring at her reflection in the mirror. It was certainly different from her normal attire, aside from the ice dress she had created during the Great Freeze. The neckline swept low, exposing more skin than Elsa was used to displaying to the general public. Long sleeves trailed to her wrists, the ends decorated with swirling white snowflakes. The waistline was tailored perfectly, and the skirt fell loosely to the floor, more of the snowflake design embroidered near the bottom. Elsa had to admit, it was a beautiful dress, and she _did_ pull it off rather nicely.

Someone knocked lightly on her door. "Come in."

Anna pranced into the room, clearly excited about their planned excursion into town. When she saw the dress Elsa was wearing, she smiled brightly. "You're wearing the dress I gave you! It looks gorgeous on you."

Elsa glanced down at the dress, blushing a little. "Thank you."

"Are you ready for today? I have so much planned!"

Elsa chuckled. "I'm sure you do. Are we eating breakfast here?"

"No, I want to take you to this bakery I found. They have the most delicious chocolate scones!"

Elsa perked up at the mention of chocolate. She was convinced that it was made in heaven. Chocolate was clearly the best food in the world, and what better way to start the day than by eating chocolate scones? Elsa shooed her sister out the door, following her. "Well, what are we waiting for then? Lead the way, dear sister!"

The town was abuzz with early morning activity. The sisters threaded their way through the crowds, nodding and waving as they went. It was a common thing these days to see the royal family walking the streets, but the people still loved to show their appreciation of the two. Anna took to the attention like a duck to water, but Elsa was a little more reserved. She was still trying to get used to being in public, to being around people. It didn't help that she was still having trouble controlling her powers.

Anna dragged her away from the people to a small bakery nestled between a few other buildings. The building was quaint, a small seating area outside for customers to enjoy the weather while they ate. The tables were mostly empty outside, most people preferring the warmth of a fire right now to the brisk morning air, but Elsa made Anna sit outside with her. This was her type of weather.

They devoured their scones in companionable silence, watching townspeople walk by on their way to accomplish the morning's tasks.

"You were right, Anna, these are absolutely delicious." Elsa licked the remaining chocolate off her fingers, not caring that it was highly unladylike. Elsa looked up to see her sister's chin smudged with chocolate, and she snorted with laughter, tossing a napkin at her. "Wipe your face, silly, you look ridiculous."

Anna stuck her tongue out at Elsa, but wiped the chocolate off anyway. "Okay, come on, I have so much I want to show you today!"

"So you've said," Elsa chuckled, as she was pulled from her seat by an overly-enthusiastic Anna. They walked the streets arm-in-arm, Anna pointing out people she knew along the way. Anna spent much more time in town than Elsa did, and it turned out that she knew quite a few people. Elsa was impressed.

"Oooh, hold on! I think I see Helene! I promised her I'd say hello the next time I was in town. Be right back," and Anna shot off, leaving Elsa standing in the street.

Elsa chuckled at her sister's exuberance. It never ceased to amaze her. _I wish I had that much energy. But then again, maybe it__'s a good thing I don't. I'm not sure I'd be able to contain my magic as well if I was as energetic as Anna._

Elsa's smile slowly slid off her face, and she wrapped her arms around herself. It never failed, every time she was with Anna, somehow her thoughts turned towards her powers. She figured that her subconscious was trying to remind her to keep her powers in check, lest she hurt Anna again. Elsa desperately wished she could be with Anna without thinking about her past mistakes.

Lost in thought, Elsa began walking slowly in the general direction Anna had run off, not watching where she was going. She had only made it a few feet before she ran into something hard. Elsa toppled backwards, her heel stepping on the hem of her dress. She braced herself, expecting to hit the ground hard, but a warm hand wrapped quickly around her waist, catching her.

Elsa looked up into the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. They were a gorgeous, stormy gray, the exact color of the clouds she loved most, the color of clouds bringing heavy rain or snow. Her eyes flitted around the rest of the man's face, taking in his angular features before flicking back up to his forehead, where his hair hung down to his eyebrows. His hair was a charcoal black that made his eyes stand out even more. Elsa blushed, looking back into his eyes, as the man's gaze darted across her face and then briefly down to her exposed upper chest. A few seconds passed before it dawned on her that he was still holding her, and that people were staring at them. He seemed to come to the same realization, and quickly righted her.

The man released his grip and ran a hand through his smooth black hair. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I hope I didn't hurt you?" His voice was deep and calm. It sent shivers through her.

Elsa cleared her throat to make sure her voice would work. "N-no, I'm fine. It's alright, I wasn't watching where I was going either." She quickly looked the man up and down, blushing furiously. _Oh, gracious, Elsa. Pull yourself together! There's no reason to be this flustered!_

The man glanced at her, a slight tint to his cheeks as well. "I'm usually not so careless. Trying to find my way around this town had me preoccupied, I suppose."

"Oh, you're new here?" Elsa asked, in an effort to keep the conversation away from their previous, and awkward, position.

"Just arrived yesterday. It's a lovely place. Though as I said, I can't seem to find anything. I was out searching for a library when I so rudely ran you over," he said, grinning sheepishly at her. Then he smacked his forehead lightly. "Ah, where are my manners! The name is Finn, my lady," he said, bowing slightly, a smile on his face.

Elsa scrambled for a response. Her brain seemed to have slowed to a stop. "A pleasure, Finn. I'm Elsa." She half-expected him to go wide-eyed in recognition when he heard her name, as most people did if they didn't know her face, but he only smiled at her.

"A beautiful name. The pleasure is all mine."

Elsa reddened again, glancing down at her feet. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Anna watching, an impish grin on her face. Elsa groaned inwardly. She knew that look. That look meant trouble. Anna skipped over to them, still wearing that adorably annoying smile.

"Well, Elsa, looks like you've made a friend already! And who is this?"

Elsa cleared her throat again, feeling as if Anna could read her every thought. "This is Finn. Finn, this is my sister, Anna."

"Delighted to meet you, Finn. I've not seen you around here, are you new?" she asked, hopefully making it sound as if she hadn't heard every word they'd said. He nodded in response, his eyes still on Elsa. Anna looked between the two of them for a few seconds before making a decision. "Well, I'm sure Elsa would be perfectly happy to give you a tour of the town!"

"Wha- Anna," Elsa protested, though she wasn't really sure why. She actually didn't mind; she wanted to spend a bit longer with Finn. _Wait, what? What is wrong with me?!_

Finn smiled, looking Elsa in the eyes as he spoke. "I'd love that."

"Anna, are you sure? We were going to-"

Anna cut her off with a look. "Don't worry, I think I saw Kristoff a minute ago. I haven't seen him in a few days, so I'll go visit with him. Go have fun." Anna gave Elsa a slight nudge towards Finn, struggling to keep a brilliant smile off her face. She raced off before either of them could say anything, and burst into a fit of giggles as soon as she was out of earshot. _Oh, goodie! I can__'t believe Elsa was so flustered. She's never like that. He must have really made an impression on her. _She sighed happily to herself before heading off in the direction of the castle, having never actually seen Kristoff.

Elsa glanced sheepishly at Finn. She suddenly noticed how tall he was. He towered over her; though admittedly, she was a small person. He could have easily set his chin on the top of her head. She thought he might even be taller than Kristoff. Elsa raked her eyes across his body again, taking in his muscled arms and torso, clearly visible through his tight shirt. She shook her head slightly, trying to clear her muddied brain.

"Ahem, she, uh, does that a lot. Runs off like that, I mean."

Finn chuckled. "She seems to have quite a lot of energy."

"You have no idea."

They stood there in silence for a few minutes, both looking at the ground. Before things could get any more uncomfortable, Elsa steeled her nerves and asked, "So, you wanted to know where the library was?"

Finn nodded.

"Well, the only library Arendelle has is in the castle. But, there's a bookshop I can take you to instead." She didn't want to have to deal with guards addressing her as the queen. She wanted to keep things…normal, for a while anyway. "They have a small reading nook, if you're just looking to read for a while. The owner doesn't mind if you come in just to read."

"That sounds lovely."

They walked down the street together, Elsa leading the way to the bookshop. They were silent for a while, and Elsa couldn't help but feel a little awkward. _Why is this so difficult! Ugh._

"So you enjoy reading?" she finally asked.

"Yeah, I've been an avid reader since I was a kid. Books are my escape, my haven. They help keep my mind off my troubles. Of course, when I was young, I didn't have very many troubles. I just loved reading. I tend to immerse myself in the stories I read. It feels like I'm actually in them, right alongside the characters. I loved it as a child, and still do."

Elsa grinned. "I'm the same way. Though, I did have a bit I wanted to be distracted from as a child. I know I would have been just as enthusiastic about books even if I didn't though. I've read the entire library in the castle. Every single book. Mathematics, history, romance, fairy tales, you name it. I soak it all up like a sponge."

"You know, it's very rare that I meet someone who has read more than I have, but I think reading an entire library is something that even _I_ didn't think was possible." Finn chuckled.

Elsa looked down at the ground, before saying softly, "Well, I had a lot of free time on my hands."

Finn glanced at her, noticing the change in her mood. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up a sensitive topic."

"No, it's alright. I was the one who brought it up anyway." She smiled at him. For once, she actually forgot about her troubles, pushing the thoughts from her mind with ease. They continued on towards the bookshop, Elsa eagerly describing some of her favorite books. She asked him about his own favorites, enjoying having some common ground with him. It was nice to be able to talk to someone besides Anna, and to actually have something in common with someone. She usually felt so out of place around others, so different.

They reached the bookshop, walking through the door to the muted interior. There was a hush about bookstores and libraries that lifted Elsa's spirits. She loved the peace and quiet, loved sitting in a room surrounded by books. The smell of musty old pages filled her nostrils, and she breathed deeply.

"Ah, I love this place. I'm going to go ask the owner if he has anything new for me. Take a look around, I'll find you in a few minutes."

A good hour later, the two emerged from the bookshop, a book tucked under each of their arms. Finn had attempted to pay for Elsa's book, but she refused. He had tried to argue with her, saying he owed her for practically running her over, but he gave up after a minute, realizing that she wasn't going to budge. He had sighed, and then paid for his book.

"Well, what now?" Finn asked.

"Is there anything in particular that you'd like to see?"

"Well, I'm not sure what there is to see."

"Ah, right. Well, I guess a general tour is in order." They wandered the village for hours, Elsa pointing out everything she could think of. She took him past all the shops and taverns, waving to people as they passed. She had somehow avoided being addressed as the queen, and she was thankful for it. She wanted to keep that part of her life from Finn for a while. Elsa was sure things would be different when he found out, and she wanted things to be like they were for as long as possible. It was nice being treated like a normal person. Finn didn't walk on eggshells around her, like most people seemed to.

They bought a picnic lunch from the bakery where she had breakfast with Anna, and carried it up to the top of the lighthouse to eat. Elsa scooted to the edge and dangled her legs through the railing, looking out at the open water. They ate lunch in silence, enjoying the view. Finn finished off the last of his sandwich, leaning back against the lighthouse with a sigh.

"It's beautiful up here," he said.

"Yes, it is. This is one of my favorite places to come. It's particularly stunning at sunset."

Finn couldn't help but think that the stunning sunset would be noting compared to the woman that sat beside him. He had never seen anyone more beautiful. Her platinum blond hair hung in a thick braid over her shoulder, small wisps of hair blowing gently in the breeze. She turned to face him, moving away from the edge and crossing her legs. Finn stared at her eyes, marveling at their beauty. They were the bright, clear blue of a deep mountain lake, and they sparkled in the noontime sun.

Elsa blushed under his intense gaze, looking down at her hands that were clasped in her lap. She searched for something to say, something to break the silence between them. She felt butterflies stir in her stomach, a completely foreign sensation. Elsa was sure that she shouldn't be feeling like this; she had only just met the man. Mentally shaking herself, her mind finally landed on a topic to bring up.

"So, where are you from?" Elsa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking up at Finn. She was startled to see the expression on his face. "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to," she amended quickly.

Finn sighed. "No, it's alright. It just brings up a few unwanted memories."

Elsa nodded, completely understanding him. She had quite a few unwanted memories of her own, and knew what it felt like to have a delicate topic brought up.

"I'm from Birkeland. I spent the first fourteen years of my life there. It's a quiet place, much like Arendelle. I'm not sure you'd have heard of it."

"I believe I have. It's northwest of here, right? Up in the mountains?"

"Yeah. Quaint little mountain town. I loved it there. The mountains always made me feel safe, secure." Finn picked at a loose thread in his breeches.

"What made you leave?"

He looked up at Elsa, seeing genuine interest in her eyes. She wasn't just asking to make conversation. She looked as if she actually wanted to hear the answer. Still, there were parts of his life that he'd rather not delve into, not yet anyway. He sighed. "That _is _one topic that I'd like to avoid," he said softly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"No, no, you didn't. It's alright. I just…it's hard to talk about."

Elsa nodded. "I understand."

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, the cool breeze ruffling Finn's hair. Finally, Elsa stood up, motioning for Finn to do the same. "Come on, there's still a few things I'd like to show you."

The spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the town, chatting along the way. After the previous uncomfortable atmosphere evaporated, they talked like two people that had been friends for years. Elsa marveled at how easy he was to talk to, and at how much they had in common. She found out that he loved horses just as much as she did, and when he told her of his horse stabled at the inn he was staying in, she begged to go see him. Elsa had adored Roar, rubbing his nose and feeding him a few sugar cubes that she got from the stable boy.

Later that afternoon, Elsa stood with Finn near the docks, looking out at the fjord. She sighed, watching the sun sink lower in the sky. This had been the best day she'd had in a long time. She couldn't believe she had spent it with a man she hardly knew. There was just something about Finn that struck a chord with her.

"I suppose I should be getting back home. It's getting close to dinner time, and I know Anna will be wondering where I'm at."

"Well, milady, it was a wonderful day. Thank you for showing me around."

"Oh, it was nothing. I had a great time."

"Shall I walk you home?" Finn asked.

"No!" Elsa said, a little too quickly. "Ah, no, it's alright. Really." She smiled at him.

He frowned a little, but didn't ask. "Alright. Well, I suppose this is goodbye then. It was a pleasure meeting you, Elsa." He turned to leave, but stopped at the sound of her voice.

"W-Wait. Finn." He turned back around, watching her glance timidly at the ground. She took a deep breath. "W-Would you like to…could you…ugh." She took another deep breath and started over. "Would you like to meet up again tomorrow? Maybe…for lunch?"

Finn exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, flashing Elsa a brilliant smile that made her stomach do a few flips. "That sounds wonderful."

Elsa sighed, relieved. "Great! I'll meet you outside the inn you're staying at around noon. Is that alright?"

"Perfect." Finn stood there, grinning foolishly for a few seconds. Then he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. _It__'s not a date, idiot, calm down. _"Well, good evening, Elsa. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good evening, Finn." Elsa watched his retreating back, her stomach still fluttering madly with nerves. She followed him with her eyes, making sure he was a good distance away before setting off in the direction of the castle, a bounce in her step.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note - Alright, here's chapter three! Also, don't think that the things that are revealed in this chapter are super important. There will be more revealing later for sure! Enjoy, and thank you all for the favorites and follows!**

* * *

Chapter 3

The morning found Finn sitting at the bar of the inn he was staying at, The Golden Lantern, pushing food around his plate with his fork. He looked at the clock above the mantle, sighing. _Only nine o__'clock. Three hours to go._

The barman, Markus, was talking to him, though what about, Finn hadn't a clue. He pretended to listen, nodding his head and making vague statements every now and then. His thoughts were focused on a particular platinum blond. It wasn't until the words 'Queen Elsa' reached his ears that his head shot up, finally paying attention.

"Wait, what? What did you say? _Queen_ Elsa?"

"Well, yeah. What else would I say?" Markus cocked an eyebrow, staring at a slightly flustered Finn. "Ya all right, lad?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah, fine." Finn sank back into his thoughts as Markus went on with his story. _Queen Elsa? She's a _queen_? Ah, what have I gotten myself into? _Mentally shaking himself, Finn paused in his thoughts. _Wait, I'm being stupid. What does it matter if she__'s a queen? She's still Elsa. The title doesn't make her any different._

Finn nodded to himself. Still, he felt a bit miffed that she hadn't thought to mention the fact that she was a queen. Of course, she probably had a good reason for hiding it. Mulling this over in his thoughts, Finn polished off the last of his breakfast. Markus had gone to fill an order, so Finn left his money on the bar and walked outside, breathing in the crisp morning air to clear his head. He smiled. _Today is going to be a good day._

* * *

Elsa sat at her desk, absently tapping the wood with her pen. She rested her chin in the palm of her hand, her elbow propped up on the edge of the desk. Sighing, she pulled herself out of her thoughts to concentrate on the papers in front of her. Try as she might, Elsa just couldn't stay focused. Her thoughts kept straying to Finn. His perfect black hair, blowing gently in the breeze. His steel gray eyes staring into her own.

Shaking her head, she looked down at the papers on her desk. _Oh, it__'s no use._

Getting up, she walked to the window of her study, staring out at the water. Last night's encounter with Anna came back to her, drawing a reluctant smile to her lips.

_Elsa walked up the stairs to her room, humming quietly to herself. She walked lightly down the hall, her shoes barely making a sound against the thick carpet. She was turning the handle of her door when a voice behind her made her jump._

"_So, how was your date?" Anna leaned against the frame of her own door, a smug smile on her face._

"_It wasn't a date. For goodness' sake, Anna, I just met him."_

"_Yes, but you spent, like, all day with him."_

"_You told me to!"_

"_No, I simply said to show him around town. I didn't say a word about taking so long to do it." Anna smirked at her sister's blush. Elsa groaned and walked into her room, trying to shut the door. Anna stuck a foot in before she could, pushing her way into Elsa's room._

"_So…tell me about him! How was it? What did you talk about? Where did you take him? Did you show him your spot at the top of the lighthouse? Did you-"_

"_Anna, slow down!" Elsa walked across the room to stare out of the window, sitting down on the window seat. "I really don't want to talk about it, Anna." She knew that wasn't going to work._

"_Oh, come on! This is the first time you've ever shown interest in someone. Please, Elsa?" Anna pouted, her bottom lip poking out. She was too adorable to resist._

_Elsa sighed. __"I don't even…I don't know, Anna."_

"_Well, did you show him your spot at the lighthouse?"_

_Elsa nodded._

_Anna cackled. __"Ha! I knew it!"_

"_Knew what, exactly?"_

"_You like him, don't you?"_

_Elsa__'s face reddened. "Now what on earth makes you think that? Just because I took him to the lighthouse doesn't mean I like him. And really, Anna, I just met him this morning. It doesn't work like that."_

_Anna shook her head. Elsa was quite intelligent, but when it came to matters of the heart, she was like a babe first learning how to walk. __"Really, Elsa, have you never heard of 'love at first sight'?"_

"_Anna, that never happens," Elsa scoffed._

"_Oh, sure it does. You just wait, you'll see that I'm right."_

Elsa chuckled, remembering their conversation. If she was honest with herself, a small part of her hoped that Anna was right. She hadn't felt this alive since she was a child. Spending the day with Finn had caused Elsa to feel a multitude of emotions that she wasn't used to feeling. She wasn't ready to admit to liking him, not yet. But she knew in her heart that they would be great friends, at least.

* * *

At noon, Elsa was standing outside The Golden Lantern, waiting for Finn to come out. She tapped her foot nervously on the wood flooring of the porch, leaning against the railing. Just as she was beginning to worry if he would show up or not, a tall figure emerged from the inn.

Elsa's breath caught in her throat. Finn was wearing a tight, light blue shirt and black breeches, which were tucked into the top of his polished black boots. A black cloak hung on his shoulders. Seeing Elsa waiting on him, he smiled, his brilliantly white teeth standing out against the tan of his skin.

"Good day, Your Majesty," he said with a bow. He straightened, raising his eyebrows at her.

She blinked, caught off guard. _How did he find out? Ah, what am I thinking, of course someone would have told him. Makes complete sense. Stop being stupid, Elsa._

Elsa let out a nervous laugh. "Uh, hello?" She winced. That definitely made it sound like she had concealed who she was on purpose.

"Didn't expect me to know? Tell me, why exactly would you keep that from me? Did you think it would make a difference in how I interacted with you?"

Elsa opened her mouth, slightly speechless. "Actually, yes, that's exactly what I thought." She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself and looking at the ground. "Finn, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Elsa." Finn stepped closer to her, gripping her arms just above the elbow. She jumped slightly at his touch. The air around her was a bit cooler than it should have been. "Look at me."

Elsa looked up, searching his eyes for any sign of disappointment or anger, but there was none. Instead, he looked at her kindly, a smile playing about his lips.

"It's alright, really. I'd have done the same thing if I were you. But listen, you're still the same person to me. This doesn't change anything. You're still the beautiful, caring, funny, passionate woman that I met yesterday."

Elsa's cheeks took on a pink hue. "Thank you," she said softly. "Normally people seem to think they have to act differently around me. People are always watching what they say, for fear of offending me. It's always a chorus of Your Majesty's and Queen Elsa's, and I wish it wasn't. Yesterday, you…you treated me like a real person. It was…well, I liked it." Elsa looked at the ground, shy once again.

"You _are _a real person. You're Elsa, not the queen. That's just a role you play, a job you perform. It isn't who you are."

His words touched her. No one had ever spoken to her like that. She looked up at him, smiling, already eternally grateful that she had met this man.

"Now, how about some lunch?"

* * *

They sat at the docks, backs leaning against a low wall, staring out into the fjord. The remains of their picnic lunch sat beside them. Clouds were rolling in, a deep gray tint to them that almost perfectly matched Finn's eyes.

"So what are you going to do around here? You'll be wanting a place of your own, I'm sure. And a job. What did you want to do?"

Finn crossed his legs and looked at Elsa. He'd thought about that quite a lot last night. He hoped she wouldn't laugh at him. "Well…I was thinking of, maybe, joining the royal guard…" Finn glanced up at her, not quite expecting the beautiful smile on her face.

"That's a wonderful idea! Is that what you'd planned all along, or did you just decide that so you can protect me?" she asked slyly, smirking at him.

Finn laughed. "Actually, I've wanted to be a soldier since I was a kid. I've been practicing swordplay all my life, pretty much. Among other methods of fighting. My only goal has always been to be a member of a royal guard somewhere."

"Well, I think you'll do a marvelous job. I can put in a word with the captain, if you'd like."

Finn looked at her, grateful. "Would you?"

"Of course. Anything for a friend." She smiled at him. Knowing that he would be spending most of his time in the castle made her feel slightly giddy. The Arendellian guard's quarters and training grounds were within the castle gates, though not connected to the main building. She'd be able to see him as often as she liked. _Well, when his schedule allows. _

"Thank you, Elsa. Really."

She grinned at him again before looking back out at the water. Thunder rolled in the distance. Elsa's smile faltered slightly, as she thought about what she was about to tell Finn. She had to tell him. She couldn't keep this from him, especially now that she had called him a friend. Not to mention, she actually cared about him, and she wanted to be honest with him.

"Finn, there's something I need to tell you. Well…more like, show you." He looked at her questioningly. Elsa stood up, reaching for his hand to help pull him up. She pulled him along the docks and to a path that led around the edge of the water. "Come on."

They walked for a ways, following the edge of the water until the town was mostly hidden behind the trees. Elsa still had his hand in hers, and he couldn't help but notice how cold her skin was. _And getting colder__…_

"Elsa, where are we going?"

Elsa sighed. "I suppose this will do. Almost everyone knows anyway, but I still don't like the attention."

Finn looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

She took a deep breath before speaking. "Finn…I need to show you something. I just…I'm not normal, alright? I can do…things. Ah, this is hard. Look, just…please don't freak out?" She looked pleadingly at him, desperately hoping that everything wasn't about to turn sour.

"Alright, I promise. Just show me."

Elsa clenched her jaw. She had only done this a handful of times, showing her powers to someone. Most of the time it ended badly. Taking another deep breath, Elsa closed her eyes and held out her hand. She let her magic, always boiling so close to the surface, flow free. A small snowball started to form in her outstretched hand, growing bigger until it was roughly the size of an apple. She pulled back her magic, letting the snow fall gently to her hand, before cracking her eyes open and sneaking a glance at Finn. His eyes were wide, and his mouth was hanging open. Elsa thought he was terrified, until he laughed. _Wait, what?_

"Oh, no way! Seriously?! You can make snow?!" he said excitedly.

Elsa nodded slowly. No one had ever reacted quite like this. "A-and ice," she added, still slightly bewildered that he was taking this so well.

"Oh, show me! I mean, please, if you don't mind," he said quickly, realizing that he sounded like he was demanding it.

Elsa laughed nervously and walked to the shore. Biting her lip, she stepped out onto the water as it froze beneath her feet. She walked out a ways and turned back to face Finn. He had a massive smile on his face.

"This is amazing!" He walked to the water, staring at the trail of ice she had made. He gingerly put a foot on it, testing the strength. He laughed as it held his weight, and walked out to meet Elsa, his feet slipping slightly on the slick surface.

"This is…just…wow. How did you come by this ability?" He laughed as snow fell lightly around them, catching a snowflake in the palm of his hand.

"I was born with it. Mama and Papa never could figure out how I got it."

"It's incredible," Finn said, still in awe.

"Well, you'd be the first to think so," she said bitterly. Then she corrected herself, "Well, no, not the first. I think everyone has come to appreciate it by now. But you're the first to tell me that. No one's said anything like that about my powers, not since my sister and I were small."

Finn heard the pain in her voice, and he held back his questions. He looked down at her, trying to find the right words to comfort her. Elsa's mood was rapidly becoming darker, and his heart reached out to her. He could see the fear in her eyes. He knew only too well what she was afraid of. He'd been in the same boat a thousand times, and he knew that look well. She was afraid of herself.

As the snow around them thickened and the wind picked up, Finn couldn't think of a single thing to say. Somehow he knew that words would do no good right now. So he did the only thing he could think of: he wrapped Elsa in a hug.

Elsa jumped slightly and blinked against his chest. She certainly hadn't expected this. It only took a few seconds before Elsa responded, wrapping her own arms around him and grasping the back of his shirt tightly in her hands. She buried her head in his chest, the muscles in her jaw working furiously as she tried to hold back her tears. She took a deep breath, relaxing against him. Slowly, the wind and snow died down until there was nothing left of it.

Her mind now clear of her depressing thoughts, she started as she realized what position they were in. She couldn't ever remember being hugged by a man, as she usually didn't let men anywhere near her. Even Kristoff hadn't ever hugged her, though she saw him frequently. A flush crept up her neck as she stepped back.

"Thank you, Finn."

"It's what friends are for."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Elsa sat in her study, squinting at the papers in front of her, illuminated by the dim, wavering light of a lone candle. It was incredibly late, and she really needed to get to bed, but this couldn't wait. Scanning the document one last time, Elsa nodded. She scribbled a few more words at the bottom before signing her name. Throwing down her pen, she rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand.

_Ugh. What I wouldn__'t give to swap places with Anna. She has it easy._ Resting her head in her hands, Elsa closed her eyes. A dull ache was pounding in her head. It had been a really long day, filled with meetings and documents and irritating nobles. It wasn't all that often that she spent literally all day busy with work. Most of the time she had enough free time to at least spend a few hours with Anna. _And Finn._

At the thought of his name, her stomach lurched. It had been a couple of months since they met, but she still got flustered at the thought of him. She had thought it would go away if she spent enough time with him, but it only seemed to get worse. Speaking of Finn, the door to her study opened, and he poked his head inside.

"Els, are you really still working?"

Her head shot up at the sound of his voice, and she desperately tried to cool her flush, pushing the slightly embarrassing thoughts she had just been thinking to the back of her mind. "Finn! You scared me to death."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," he said with a small wink. She sent him a sarcastic frown. She hated it when he called her that. Though, admittedly, he did have to call her that in public. It was highly improper for a member of the royal guard to address the queen by name.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"I'm on duty tonight outside your chambers," he said, winking again. "The man I replaced said you hadn't come to your room yet, and after standing there for a while I got worried."

Elsa groaned. She was positive that Captain Tomas put Finn outside her door on purpose. He'd been doing it more and more, ever since that time he had seen her trip over her own two feet while watching Finn doing maneuvers with the guard. _Maybe if I tell him I never get any sleep when I know Finn is outside my door, he__'d stop. No, that actually might make it worse. He'd never let me hear the end of it._

"Is my presence outside your door a problem?"

She could tell he was joking. She was positive he could tell how nervous he made her; how could he not? It was painfully obvious. There was no denying it anymore, she _knew_ she liked him. Looking quickly back down at her desk, her face flushed with embarrassment, she tried to find her voice to answer him.

"Ah, n-no, it's…fine. Really, I like it." She mentally smacked herself. _Pull yourself together, idiot. He__'s your friend. Act normal._

Finn chuckled. He definitely didn't miss Elsa's nervousness. But he did miss the meaning behind it. She had been nervous around him since they'd met, and he always assumed she was just nervous around new people, and that it took a while before she got comfortable around anyone. He figured that if he treated her more casually, it would eventually make her more comfortable. Unfortunately for Elsa, Finn being casual usually meant he was rather roguish.

"Well, come on then. You need to get some sleep. It's well past midnight." Striding over to her desk, he pulled her chair backwards and grabbed one of her hands, tugging her gently out of her chair.

"Alright. I suppose I am rather tired," she said, stifling a yawn. She let him lead her to her chambers, holding on to his arm for support. She was more tired than she'd realized, stumbling slightly as they walked up a set of stairs. Finn placed a hand on top of hers where it rested on his arm, looking at her with concern.

"Shall I carry you to your rooms, Majesty?"

She scowled at him. "I think I can manage."

They finally reached her rooms, stopping outside the door. The light was dim in the hallway, only a single lantern being lit a few feet from her door. No one else was around, and Finn looked down at Elsa with a smile on his face.

Elsa's heart raced madly in her chest. Part of her hated these moments, when she was alone with him. She was always more nervous when they were alone. But most of her wished for this, and only this, all the time. She craved time spent alone with Finn, even if it made her feel like she would melt from the heat her face and neck put off.

"Thank you for coming to get me. I probably would have been working for another couple of hours."

"You work too much, Els."

"You know I don't do this often. Just a few times a month really."

"Well, still. I hate seeing you so exhausted."

Elsa saw genuine concern in his eyes, and her heart warmed. She wasn't used to feeling cared for. There were only a few people in Elsa's life that she had ever felt truly cared for her. She couldn't understand why Finn cared for her like he did though. The others made sense to her, but Finn did not.

"I know. Sometimes it can't be helped though," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes again.

"Go on, go get some sleep. I'll be out here for another hour or so before someone else takes over." He hesitated, before quickly enveloping her in a hug. She jumped in surprise, the temperature around them dropping a few degrees.

"I'm sorry, did I-"

"N-no, it's alright. It just startled me," Elsa interrupted, wrapping her arms around him when he tried to pull away. The last time he'd hugged her, it was when she was upset. This time though, she wasn't upset, and the hug felt…different. Her back tingled where his hands rested, causing her to shiver.

Finn pulled back after a few seconds, smiling at her. There was something in his eyes, a look that was different than what she usually saw. Mentally shaking herself, Elsa stepped back, looking down at her feet.

"Well…goodnight Finn." She turned and entered her room, quickly shutting the door.

Finn stood there for a few seconds, slightly stunned at what he'd done. "Goodnight Elsa," he whispered, reaching out a hand to lightly touch her door.

On the other side of the door, Elsa exhaled, her legs shaking slightly. _Alright, this is getting ridiculous. I know I like him, but I shouldn__'t be this…this…affected…ugh. Maybe I should talk to Anna._

Now _that_ was an absurd thought. She would never hear the end of it. Anna would laugh to know how much Finn affected her. But, Elsa was sure that Anna could help her. Or at least explain what on earth was going on.

Elsa walked shakily to her wardrobe, rummaging around for a nightgown. Changing as quickly as she could, she walked over to her bed and crawled under the covers. Her eyes darted to her door, where Finn stood guard. Groaning, she rolled over, burying her face in her pillow. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Anna walked down the hall to Elsa's room, humming quietly to herself. It was Sunday, Elsa's only official day off. She always slept in late on Sundays. Anna had thought it was impossible for Elsa to sleep past dawn, but apparently her internal clock refused to work on her days off. _That__'s a good thing though. She needs some extra sleep._

Nodding to the guard outside Elsa's door, she turned the handle, poking her head inside. Elsa was still asleep, if the lump under the covers told Anna anything. Elsa was absolutely adorable when she slept, the covers ending up in a tangled mess, her head buried under her pillow. Chuckling slightly, Anna made her way to the edge of the bed, sitting down beside her sister and nudging her gently.

"Elsa. Wake up, sleepyhead."

"Mmmfff," was the response.

Anna laughed. "Come on, get up! It's ten o'clock, I need someone to talk to. I've been up for hours."

Elsa emerged from under the covers, blinking like an owl in the bright sunlight that was streaming through her window. She ran a hand through her hair, blinking a few more times. Anna thought it was highly unfair that Elsa could look this gorgeous when she woke up. Her own bed-head was atrocious.

Elsa yawned, leaning back against the headboard. "Alright, I'm up."

Anna snorted with laughter. "Barely."

"Hey, it's Sunday, give me a break." She patted the bed beside her. "Come on, come sit up here. I wanted to talk to you anyway."

"Oooh, okay! What are we talking about?"

"Uhh…something."

"Oh, I think I know what this is about. Go on then," Anna smirked. She had been waiting for her sister to come to her about this. She could see the way Elsa looked at Finn. She also knew Elsa had never felt like this before, and she was probably confused.

Elsa looked down at her lap, twirling a strand of hair in her fingers.

_Yup, pegged it, _Anna thought.

"I just…" Elsa sighed. "This is going to be hard. I don't usually talk about stuff like this. For that matter, I've never had this happen, so it's all new anyway."

"Finn, right?"

Elsa blinked a few times, slightly startled at her sister's accuracy. "Umm…I…" She sighed again. "Y-yeah, Finn."

"So, what about him?"

"It's just that…Anna, I get so…so flustered around him! Every single time we're alone, I feel like my heart is going to pound right out of my chest. And I've never felt more hot in my life. I normally don't get warm, at all, ever. But I practically feel like I'm melting when I'm around him."

Anna giggled. "I know. Your flush is pretty obvious sometimes."

Elsa groaned. "What…I mean, is this…normal?"

"Elsa, it's perfectly normal. I was the same way around Kristoff for the first few months. Look, I know you like him, and you know you like him. You're just crushing right now…and hard, too." Anna giggled again. It was fun, seeing Elsa so uncomfortable, but at the same time it was a little sad. Anna wished, for about the millionth time, that Elsa could have had a more normal childhood.

Face flushed yet again, Elsa looked down at her hands. "But…how do I know when…when…"

"When it's time for a relationship?"

Elsa nodded.

"When Kristoff and I started dating, we were past where you are now. I wasn't nervous around him anymore, we could touch without looking like the setting sun, I could spend time with just him without feeling jittery. We kinda moved past the early infatuation. At the time, I couldn't really explain it. But now, I know that the point when I wasn't nervous around him anymore, that was when I fell in love."

Elsa paled a little. _I__'m not ready for this! I can't do it. What if I lose control of my powers again? He already makes me frost things occasionally._

Anna didn't miss a thing. She grabbed one of Elsa's cool hands in her own. Turning Elsa's face so she was looking right in her eyes, Anna said, "Elsa. You will not hurt him. Don't be afraid of this."

Elsa swallowed nervously. "But, I…"

"Stop. Don't you even think about it. I know you've been going through some rough times here lately. I've seen it in your eyes. You're still afraid of something. But don't let this be one of the things you're afraid of. This will be good for you, Elsa."

Elsa nodded. She was so thankful for her sister. It was incredible how much better Anna could make her feel. "Thank you. I have been having a…rough time. It's…I just…well, I have nightmares a lot, and…" Elsa took a deep breath. "There are times that it's really hard to suppress the fear. I'm still dealing with a lot…a lot I haven't told you. But…it's hard to talk about it."

Anna reached up to run a hand through Elsa's smooth hair, before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. "I know. And I'm here for you, ready to talk whenever you feel up to it."

"Thank you," Elsa whispered.

They sat there in silence for a while, Anna still holding her sister close, gently rubbing her shoulder. When it was clear that Elsa still wasn't ready to talk about what was bothering her, Anna stood up, dragging Elsa with her.

"Come on, let's go outside. I feel like ice skating today." That got a grin out of her sister.


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, here's chapter 5! It's a bit longer than the others. We still have quite a ways to go with this story, so stick with me :) and don't forget, the main point of this fic is to be romantic loveliness, so I'm not fleshing out an adventurous plot or anything. Just developing a romance between two characters :) anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 5

The haze of summer settled over Arendelle, days burning long and hot. Most of the citizens could either be found in the cool waters of the fjord, playing along the shore, or indoors out of the sun. They found that they much preferred the winter weather, now that their queen tempered the harshness of it with her magic. Winter was pleasantly cool, a coat always required, but never bitingly cold. The summer heat made them feel sluggish, dragging their feet about the streets, trying to get the day's tasks done without getting soaked in sweat. Still, the people of Arendelle were a hardy folk, and not even a little unpleasant heat could keep them from doing their jobs.

A warm breeze blew through the village, bringing a little respite from the stifling heat. Most of the citizens were periodically wiping their brows with a kerchief, keeping the sweat at bay. But inside the castle walls, in a particularly secluded spot in the gardens, Elsa and Finn sat comfortably. They were lying against a conjured snowdrift, looking up at the clouds in the sky.

"That one looks like Olaf! Look! There's his nose, and one of his stick arms, and his two feet."

"That's not Olaf…it looks more like Sven."

"No, no, see, there's his head. And that's his body, and his butt is right there. And see the two little feet?"

"It's _not_ Olaf. I would know, I made him."

Finn laughed. "Alright, alright, fine."

They had spent the morning walking through the gardens, the bright flowers and chirping birds being pleasant company after the packed ballroom last night. There had been a Midsummer Festival held at the castle the night before, the festivities lasting well into the night. Elsa had been exhausted before it even started, having spent an entire week with little sleep, trying to prepare for the festival and keep up with her duties as monarch at the same time.

Elsa was glad for Finn's company today. She'd had another vivid nightmare the night before, and his presence was comforting. She had been working up her courage all morning, trying to talk to him about it. Neither of them had yet to disclose any of their pasts to one another, and Elsa felt that it was time he knew some of what had gone on in her life. He was her best friend, after all. She was also positive it would help her nightmares, having someone to talk about it with. She just couldn't bring herself to talk to Anna about it. Anna was usually the victim in her nightmares. It would just make it harder to talk about them if she had to look at Anna's face while doing it.

Elsa had gotten extremely quiet, her mood darkening. The temperature around them dropped a little, which was more than welcoming on this hot day, but it still worried Finn. He turned his head to look at her, finding her biting her bottom lip, eyebrows scrunched together in thought.

"Els. What's been bothering you? You've been getting worse, you know. This is starting to happen more frequently."

"Wh-what?"

"Come on, I know you're having nightmares. Though I certainly don't think that's all there is. I do stand guard outside your room a lot. I hear you at night."

She sighed. She was terrified of having to relive what he wanted her to tell him. But she also knew this would help. _And he deserves to know__…no, I _want_ him to know. I want to be honest with him._

"Finn…there's a lot about me you don't know. I realize there's a lot about you that I don't know either, and that's alright. We both have to get to a point where we're comfortable telling each other our pasts. I have…well…quite a lot that I need to tell you. I don't think I can do it all at once though. I'm going to have to take this slowly. It all hurts so much."

Finn turned on his side, propping his head up on his hand. He sank a little in the snow, before his elbow packed it down enough that it quit shifting beneath him. "You don't have to tell me anything, you know."

"I know. But I want to. And I think it will help." Taking a deep breath, Elsa tried to decide where to start, what to tell him first. She finally decided she'd start with her most recent nightmares. "Alright…for a bit of background I suppose, I'll tell you what happened to start this whole mess with my powers. See, when I was little, I could control my magic easily. I loved my powers, because they made Anna happy."

She paused, smiling at the memories. "We used to play together all the time, but not like normal little girls. We didn't play with dolls or anything that much. Just my magic. We made snowmen, we skated up and down the halls. We had snowball fights and made snow angels. They were wonderful times."

She sighed. "But, one night, everything went wrong. I still remember that night clearly. I have nightmares about it still, but only sometimes. They were much more frequent when I was younger. Anyway, we were playing, and Anna got a little carried away. I was catching her on these snowdrifts that I made, and she kept jumping higher and faster. I couldn't keep up. I ended up slipping." Elsa let out a hollow laugh.

"You know, I never slip on ice. But I did that day. I still don't know why. It's like the fates decided that what came after just had to happen."

Finn could see her sinking farther and farther into depression. He desperately wanted to comfort her somehow. Maybe a tap on the shoulder, a hug, a grasped hand, _something_. But he knew she was still uncomfortable with touch, so he held back.

"Anyway, I slipped and fell. She had already jumped when I fell, and I didn't have time to make a snowdrift to catch her. I panicked. I shot my magic toward her, desperate to make even a tiny pile of snow to catch her. But I missed. It hit her in the head." Elsa swallowed past a lump in her throat. "She ended up all right, but it scared us all. We took her to some trolls in the woods, and they healed her. They took all her memories of my magic though, stole it all away. They said it was better if she wasn't around magic anymore, just to be safe."

Elsa closed her eyes, trying to contain her tears. This wasn't even the hard part of the story. "Well, my father decided it would be best to lock me up, until I learned to control my powers. But that's a story for another time. Anyway, the result was, this time last year when my coronation happened, it was the first time I had seen my sister in thirteen years."

Finn gasped. "Thirteen…what….Elsa. You never came out?"

She shook her head. "No, I didn't. That's still hard to talk about though."

Finn saw a tear leak out of the corner of her eye, falling rapidly down the side of her head, trailing under her ear and into her hair. His heart ached for her. But he wouldn't push her. She'd been wonderful with him, not asking him to divulge more than he wanted. He couldn't do any less for her.

"It's alright, Els. You don't have to talk about that. Just go on with your story."

Elsa took a deep breath. "Well…on my coronation day, everything was going fine until Anna and I had an argument. I ended up revealing my powers, which had been concealed from everyone, mind you. Right in the middle of the ballroom. I panicked and ran. Fled the kingdom. Ran right across the fjord, froze the entire thing. And I kinda caused an eternal winter in the process. In the middle of summer. If you've heard any of the guard talk about the 'Great Freeze', this is what they're talking about. It was my fault."

Finn could see her clench her jaw, her eyes still closed. "Els. You were just scared. Don't think like that."

"But it was my fault, Finn. No one else could have done that."

"That's not exactly what I meant, Els. Sure, no one else could have frozen summer. But that doesn't mean you have to feel guilty about it. Your fear is to blame. Not you."

Elsa opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him. _Well, I__'ve never thought of it like that._ She sat there for a few minutes, staring at Finn's eyes. Shaking her head a little, she looked back up at the sky. "Anyway…I fled up to the mountains. It was freeing. It was the first time since the accident with Anna that I felt that I could be myself. I kinda just…let go. Tested myself for the first time in years. That's when I made Olaf. What really amazed me though…I built this palace out of ice."

"What?! A whole palace?"

Elsa smiled a little. "Yeah. I felt great. For a while. And then all the fear set back in…all the insecurities. Anna came to try to get me to come home. We got into another argument of sorts, and I managed to lose control of my powers again. Hit Anna in the heart."

Finn wasn't very well versed in ice magic, but by the look on her face, he could only assume that was a very bad thing. "Uh…that bad huh?"

Elsa nodded. "It would have killed her…if she wasn't so…see, this is part of what has me so upset. I should have saved her! I could have! I _know_ I could have! But she saved herself. She didn't need me." Elsa closed her eyes again, sinking rapidly into another miserable stupor.

"See, I got captured. These men came after me…I tried to defend myself, and I would have succeeded, but…this prince, Hans…he told me not to be the monster they feared I was. It stopped me short. I'd spent the last thirteen years of my life thinking I was a monster. Hearing those words specifically…well…they hurt."

Elsa took a deep breath. "But that's for another time too. Well…it turns out that Hans really just wanted me dead. So I don't know why he stopped me. They took me back to Arendelle, put me in the dungeons. But I broke out. I just wanted to get away, to make everyone safe. Hans, he…followed me out onto the fjord. He told me I'd killed Anna. When I heard that…I…" Elsa let out a sob. She was trying to hold it back, but this…this was _hard_.

"Everything stopped. There had been a blizzard raging around me, and then all of a sudden the snow froze in the air. Everything hung still. Life didn't feel worth living anymore. Anna was dead and it was all my fault. So when I heard the ring of steel, signaling that Hans had drawn his sword, I didn't turn around. I didn't care. He could kill me, it didn't matter anymore."

She took a shuddering breath. This was the part she had been dreading._ Come on__…you're almost done. It's almost over. You can do this._

"He swung his sword…but it never hit me. I heard what sounded like a small explosion behind me, small pieces of his fractured sword flying in all directions. And when I turned around, my sister was behind me, frozen solid."

She let her tears flow now. There was no stopping them anyway. She felt Finn pull her into his side, and for once, she didn't panic. She buried her face into his chest, sobbing. His hands rubbed her back gently, and he murmured soothingly into her ear. She had no idea how long they stayed like that. She calmed down slightly, still shaking and tears still rolling down her cheeks, but she calmed enough to speak.

"I see that every night in my dreams, Finn. I can't get it out of my head. And the fear, Finn…oh, the fear. I'm terrified that I'll do it again. What if I lose control again? What if I get so angry or upset that I can't help it, that it just slips out? What if-"

"Elsa, shh. Hush…you won't lose control again. I promise."

"But how do you know that?!"

"Elsa! Calm down. You are a different person than you were before, Elsa. You don't have to hide your powers anymore, and that makes all the difference, I'm sure. You're learning excellent control. You almost never have outbursts anymore. Look, the first time you hit your sister, it was a _complete_ accident, and the second time was after years of never using your powers. You were inexperienced. But you're not anymore. I know you can control your powers now, Elsa. You just need to trust yourself."

Elsa shuddered against him, another wave of tears taking over. "I don't know how, Finn."

"Practice. You just need to practice. Use your magic so often that you are completely confident using it."

"It's hard…I still see Anna's frozen face sometimes…"

"It's going to be hard for a little while. You're going to be terrified. But you can do it. I know you can. You're the strongest person I know."

Elsa shook her head against him. "I'm not strong at all."

"Yes, you are. Anyone who is locked away and refused human contact for thirteen years and still comes out all right is strong, in my book." Finn was silent for a while, holding the still-sobbing Elsa as close to him as possible. "That's what's had you so upset lately, isn't it? These nightmares about Anna? Your fear?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"Els. You can get through this. I know you can. And you know what? I'll be right here with you, every step of the way."

She squeezed him tightly, burying her face in his chest even more. "Thank you, Finn."

They were silent for a long time. Elsa eventually realized that she was cuddled up against Finn and she wasn't panicking. She wasn't embarrassed, or nervous, or hot-and-bothered. She was comfortable. She was right where she wanted to be. Elsa breathed deeply, his scent filling her with warmth. He smelled like woodsmoke and the sea. She loved it.

At that thought, she got a tad nervous, finally remembering her conversation with Anna a few months before. She couldn't remember exactly when it had happened, though Anna had said she wouldn't. But Elsa was certain, she was in love with the man beside her. It was terrifying and exciting at the same time. But it would be a long time before she worked up the courage to tell him how she felt.

They sat there for a while longer, Finn trying to convince himself to tell her something, something that he had never told anyone. He really felt that he owed it to her, after all she had just told him. He had heard snippets of her past for the last several months, but he had remained completely tight-lipped about his own. This would be important to her, though. It would make her feel…not so much like an outcast.

"Els…there's something I'd like to tell you as well. You've been honest with me, and well…I feel you deserve it."

She sat up and looked at him. "Nonsense. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to tell me."

"Well…I'd like to tell you this…I've never told anyone before. Not even my parents knew."

Elsa sucked in a quiet breath. _He would trust me with that kind of information? _She hesitated. "Finn, are you sure..?"

"I'm sure." He sat up, pulling a small dagger out of his boot. Elsa frowned at him. "Whew, okay, where to start. Umm…well…I guess the best way to start is…Els, I'm kinda…like…you."

Elsa's mouth hung open. In fact, her chin might have been on the ground. "Wh-what? H-how?" she stuttered, completely bewildered.

Finn hurried to explain himself. "Not like…okay, maybe that wasn't exactly the right way to say it. I can't control ice or anything. I can't control any element. But I'm…special. I can…ugh, this is hard. Now I know what you felt like. Alright, look…I have magic…of a sort."

"Why haven't you told me?!" Elsa was slightly indignant. He knew how alone she felt, how different, how out of place in the world. This would have helped immensely, knowing there was someone else who was different. She crossed her arms, a slight frown on her face.

Finn winced. "Els, I'm really sorry. This is something that I've kinda buried really deep. I thought that I would be…taken advantage of…if anyone knew." At the hurt look on Elsa's face, he quickly amended his statement. "I never thought that about you! No, from before. And, well…it's tied to some extremely painful memories. I'll tell you the whole story eventually…I just…well, I wanted to show you what I can do. I know you want someone like you. Someone who can understand you. And I'm sorry that I've kept that from you for so long. I was just…scared."

Elsa could see the pain in his eyes, the uncertainty, the truth. She could tell he was begging her not to be upset with him. Seeing how exposed he looked, raw emotion so clearly visible in his eyes, melted away her anger faster than it had appeared.

"Finn, I'm sorry…I didn't mean to sound so upset. I'm not mad at you. I understand why you didn't tell me. You did better than I did, anyway. It only took you a few months to tell me. But it took me thirteen years to tell my sister. It's alright, really." She took his hand in her own, smiling up at him.

Finn smiled back at her, still slightly uncertain. He let out a deep breath. "Alright. I'm gonna show you…and please, don't panic. I've got to do something a little gruesome to make this all make sense. It's the easiest way I can tell you what I can do." He released her hand, reaching for his dagger again.

Elsa nodded, her heart thumping slightly louder than normal in her chest. She watched as Finn took his dagger and put the blade against his palm. "Finn! What are-"

He looked her in the eyes. "Els, trust me." He waited before she nodded again, then quickly drew the blade across his hand. The perfectly honed blade sliced easily through his skin, blood dripping from his palm onto the snow beneath them.

"Okay, here we go." He placed his other hand over the cut in his palm. A bright golden glow came from his clasped hands, making Elsa flinch slightly. It was gone just as fast as it had appeared. Finn took another deep breath.

"Okay, now don't freak out alright?"

"Finn…I can make snow and ice. It's alright, I think I can handle it."

Slowly, he unclasped his hands. Where there should have been a cut, there was now only unbroken skin. Elsa gasped, clapping a hand to her mouth.

"Y-you can…you can…oh my goodness." She swayed slightly, her head spinning.

Finn grabbed her by the shoulders, supporting her. "Hey, hey! It's alright…calm down! No freaking out, remember? I thought you could handle it!"

"S-sorry." Elsa took a deep breath. "Sorry, but this is just…wow. That's amazing, Finn."

He grinned sheepishly at her. "Umm, it's not all. I can heal…umm…other people too," he said the last part really quietly, as if afraid she would freak out even more.

"That…are you serious?"

Finn nodded. She was shocked at first, but she was actually taking this better than he thought she would. At least she hadn't passed out. He had actually worried she might. He glanced at her and caught her taking deep breaths to calm herself down. He smiled a little.

"I know, it's a lot to take in. But now do you understand why I kept this to myself? They would…people would never let me live my life. I would be constantly out healing others. I might have even been bought and traded, like a slave. I just couldn't…couldn't take that chance."

"I understand, Finn. Really. Wow, this is so cool. How does it…how does it feel? Your magic, I mean. Do you know it's there?" Elsa was in awe. It was unbelievable to finally have someone else to talk to about this that would understand what she's been through. _Well__…after a fashion._

"Yeah, sort of. I know it's there, but it doesn't need to be used like yours does. It just comes when it's needed."

"So you've never…never had issues? You didn't ever…fear…your magic?" she asked, slightly upset. It was just so unfair that she had so many problems out of her magic, and here he was with his own, never needing to use it.

"No, I didn't ever fear it. But I did hate it at one point." Finn rubbed the back of his neck. "I just…that's hard to talk about. Maybe…another time."

"Of course, Finn. Whenever you're ready." She paused for a minute. "Hey, now if I ever get hurt, you can take care of me," she winked at him.

Finn looked into her eyes, his own gray ones sincere. "I would have anyway."

That sent a shiver up Elsa's spine. She looked right back at him, blushing, but still holding his gaze. Then she smiled, scooted back over to Finn's side and wiggled up under his arm, resting her head on his shoulder. Finn chuckled, wrapping his arm around her waist. She sighed, leaning into his embrace.

"Thank you for telling me about all that, Els. And thank you for listening to me. And not freaking out _too_ bad."

Elsa grinned sheepishly. "Same to you."

* * *

**Yeah, so Finn is magical. Don't hate me. I couldn't resist. I kinda feel like Elsa _can't_ be the only one with magic in the whole world. There have to be others. Finn just happens to be one of them. And I didn't want to go with the typical 'guy has fire powers' thing, because it's been done very well by plenty of others. I wanted to do something different. Kinda got the idea for Finn's gift from Tangled... but as you know, he doesn't have golden hair ;) anyways, until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Woohoo! Here's another chapter for you all! I'm pretty happy with this one. Hope you all enjoy it as well :)**

* * *

Chapter 6

Elsa wandered the halls of the castle, looking for her sister. Usually, it wasn't very hard to find Anna. She was almost always in one of a handful of places: the kitchens, the gallery, or the gardens. But Elsa had checked all of those places, and hadn't seen her. Poking her head into one of the sitting rooms on the main floor, she finally found her.

Anna was sitting on a window seat, Olaf beside her, dangling his little snow feet off the edge. Anna was reading him a book, a children's story by the sound of it. Every now and then, Olaf would giggle, or coo, or make some other silly noise. He seemed to be absolutely enthralled. Elsa smiled, backing into the shadows of the doorway, waiting on Anna to finish the story.

"And they all lived happily ever after," Anna finished, glancing up at Elsa standing in the doorway and winking.

Olaf smiled, clasping his little stick hands in front of him and letting out a sigh. "Oh, I just love happy endings." Then he looked up to see Elsa standing there. "Hi Elsa! Anna just read me the story of Snow White! It was great! I think it would be cool to meet a dwarf, they seem like they'd be such funny little people."

Elsa laughed. "I'm sure it would be great. Listen, Olaf, do you mind if I talk to Anna for a minute?"

"Sure!" He sat there twiddling his fingers, humming a song to himself. Anna covered her mouth with a hand to stifle her giggles.

Elsa cleared her throat. "Umm, Olaf. Can I talk to her…alone?"

Olaf smacked himself in the face with a hand. "Oh, right! Of course, sorry! I'll just go look for Sven. Bye Anna! Bye Elsa!" He toddled out the door, still humming to himself.

Elsa laughed again. "You know, I've never regretted making him. He's been the most adorable thing. Gets into a bit of trouble every now and then, but I love every minute of it."

"He's a cutie." Anna slid to the end of the window seat to rest her back against the wall, propping her feet up on the seat and bringing her knees to her chest. She looked out the window, smiling. Then she seemed to remember that Elsa had wanted to talk to her. "Oh! So what did you want to talk to me about?"

Elsa ran a hand through her hair nervously. "Well…it sounds silly now that I'm actually here to talk about it."

"Elsa, nothing you need to talk about is going to be silly. I promise. I'm always here to listen, no matter the topic."

"I know, Anna. Thank you." She smiled at her younger sister. "Alright…well. It's about…Finn."

A broad grin broke out on Anna's face, before she seemed to think better of that decision and controlled herself. "Okay, what about him? Didn't we have a similar conversation to this a few months ago?"

"Well, yes, we did. But…well…this time… Anna, I think I might…" Elsa bit her lip, looking to Anna for help.

"Love him?"

Elsa nodded, wincing in preparation for the noise that was likely to follow her admission. Sure enough, Anna let out a high-pitched squeal, bouncing on the window seat and grabbing Elsa's hands.

"Oh, Elsa, that's wonderful!" She squealed again before finally controlling herself. Elsa just smiled shyly, shaking her head slightly at her sister's excitement. Anna couldn't control her silly grin. "So what made you realize that?"

"Well…you were right, when you said it would happen without me noticing. It just…happened. But, it was yesterday when I finally realized it. We were outside together, in the gardens, and I just realized that I wasn't a complete wreck around him anymore. I felt…comfortable. Happy." She let out a small chuckle. "This all sounds so silly coming from me."

"No, no, it doesn't at all! I wish you could see your face. I've never seen you so happy."

Elsa smiled brightly at her sister. She thought her heart might burst from all the love. "I don't know if I've ever _been_ this happy, to be honest. I mean, I was beyond happy when you…well, when you were all right after my…uh…episode. But this is different than that. This love feels different."

"It is different, trust me," Anna said, laughing. Then a wicked little thought jumped into her head. She couldn't resist embarrassing Elsa just a little. "So, have you been having any…unladylike thoughts…about our dear Finn?"

"Anna!" Elsa's face burned a brilliant shade of red.

Anna cackled. "Oh, Elsa, you should see your face!" Anna laughed so hard she had tears rolling down her cheeks. She gasped for air, trying to calm herself down. "So…if you turned that red, does that mean you have?"

"I…what…n-no, no I haven't," Elsa stuttered, her face even redder than before. Anna laughed even more, and Elsa just buried her face in her hands, mortified. _Why, oh why, did you have to ask that, Anna?_

"Ugh, alright, apparently I'm just a source of entertainment. I'll just go now." Elsa made to stand up, but Anna grabbed her hand, pulling her back down and wrapping her into a hug.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry! I couldn't resist. It was too good." She giggled some more, clearly still trying to control herself. She snuggled into Elsa's side, resting her head on her shoulder. "Elsa, I don't think you've ever been so warm."

Elsa snorted with laughter and shoved Anna away from her. "Alright, Anna…I'll tell you all my dirty thoughts if you wish."

"What, eww, eww, no! Lord, I was just kidding!" Anna's face lit up in embarrassment, and Elsa smirked.

Anna gave Elsa a shove when she saw the look on her face. "Okay, I think we need to change the subject."

Elsa laughed, nodding her head. "Yes, that's a good idea. How about lunch?"

* * *

Finn and Kristoff sat on the edge of a lake in the mountains, fishing lines cast into the center of the lake and ankles crossed out in front of them. It was rare that they got to have a "guy's day" together. Usually both Anna and Elsa practically demanded their attention if Finn ever had a day off; however, today, the girls wanted to spend some time together and shooed the boys out.

Kristoff was actually rather happy about being alone with Finn today. He had something really important that he wanted to talk to Finn about. They had already been out for a few hours, and he still hadn't mentioned it. He wasn't nervous about talking to Finn…no, he was really just nervous about the thing itself.

"Finn, I…I have something I want to talk to you about."

Finn glanced to the side, taking in Kristoff's uneasy appearance. Finn had an idea of what this was going to be about. He grinned and sat up a little more, stretching.

"Sure, Kris. What do you want to talk about?"

Kristoff caught the hint of amusement in Finn's voice and he picked up a pinecone next to him and chucked it at Finn.

Finn laughed, blocking the throw easily. "I'm sorry, Kris, I'm not meaning to pick fun. I assume this is about your dear Anna?"

Kristoff sighed. "Yeah, it is. You see…I think I want to…well, I want to ask her to marry me."

"That's great! But you sound worried."

"Well, it's just…she's a princess. I just feel…well…unworthy, I suppose. How can I ever be good enough for her?"

"Kris, don't talk like that. Really. You're plenty good enough for her. And you know that her status doesn't matter to her. Anna could care less that you're an ice harvester. She loves you, Kris, and that's all that matters. You love her, right?"

"Of course! I-I love her more than life itself. I can't imagine what I'd do without her."

"Well, that's all that matters. Really, what are you so worried about? She'll be ecstatic. Do you have the ring yet?"

"Heh, yeah, that was an adventure. I had to ask Kai for her ring size. I thought he'd never stop picking on me. All in good fun, of course." Kristoff laughed a little to himself.

"It'll go just fine Kris, don't worry about it. When are you going to ask her?"

Kristoff exhaled, running his hand through his hair. "Tomorrow. If I can work up the courage."

Finn clapped him on the shoulder. "It'll be great. You can do it."

Silence developed between them. Bugs were buzzing in the late summer heat. They finished the afternoon off peacefully, barely a sound passing between them. They packed up and returned to Arendelle just before sunset. They found the girls sitting in Elsa's bedroom, both of them a giggling mess.

"What on earth have you two been up to?" Finn asked, poking his head in the door. That only set them off even more, another chorus of giggles ringing out into the hall. Finn looked to Kristoff, who just shrugged.

After dinner, the four of them went their separate ways. Kristoff and Anna headed off in some random direction, presumably to a more secluded area of the castle. Elsa smiled softly to herself as she watched them go, before her gaze flicked back to Finn. The two of them left alone, Finn decided to drag her out into the gardens.

"So, Your Majesty, how was your day?"

Elsa scowled at him. "You know I don't like it when you call me that."

"My apologies, Ice Queen," Finn said with a smirk.

"Finn!"

Finn laughed, pulling her to a stop. He leaned down, putting his mouth right by her ear. "Sorry. Elsa. This better?" he husked.

Elsa's breath caught in her throat and her heart skipped a beat. She clutched at Finn's shirt to steady herself. Apparently it was still possible for her to lose herself in his presence. _That was incredibly naughty of you, Finn._

She blinked a few times and then tilted her head up to look at him. That was a mistake though, as it put her face barely an inch away from his. She sucked in a breath. Her eyes flicked from his lips back up to his beautiful gray eyes, amusement dancing in them. Her brain froze. She stopped thinking completely. After a few seconds, Elsa realized that she wasn't breathing, and she sucked in another breath. Clearing her throat, Elsa stepped back, heat creeping up her neck in a raging blush.

She looked back up at Finn. A small smile played about his lips, but his eyes didn't quite match the rest of his expression. Elsa wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a bit of disappointment in them. _No, that__'s not right. He can't like me like that. I must be imagining things. Wishful thinking._

"Ah, um, yes. Elsa is much better," she stammered.

Finn shook his head a little and then chuckled. They resumed their walk, silence stretching between them awkwardly for a few minutes before the conversation got going again. Finn tried to get Elsa to tell him what they had been doing all day, but all she would say is "girl stuff." An hour or so later, Finn was escorting her back up to her rooms. He cursed silently when he saw the guard outside her door. _Lars. Just great. He__'ll be spreading this like wildfire through the guard. They'll all know before I've even made it to my quarters._

As they neared the door to her room, Lars gave Finn a wink and a cheeky grin. Elsa nodded to him, opening her door and motioning for Finn to follow her inside. He groaned inwardly. _Now it__'s _really_ going to spread like wildfire._

Shutting the door behind him, Finn took a good look around the room. He'd never been in Elsa's room before, despite the number of times he had stood guard outside it. To his left was a massive bed, a canopy hanging over top. The headboard was painted with swirling designs of snow in different shades of blue. A soft, thick blue blanket covered the bed, already turned down for the night. Directly across from the door on the opposite wall was a large triangular window, divided into panes with a lattice design, a window seat directly below it. To the right of the window was a small desk, scattered with a few random papers, a small pile of books in one corner.

The wall to the right was the most impressive, however. A spectacular fireplace adorned the wall, topped with a lacquered mantle on which sat a few knickknacks. A beautiful painting of Arendelle hung above the mantle. A small sofa sat in front of the fire, complete with a few plushy pillows. To either side of the fireplace was a door, Finn assumed to a washroom and a wardrobe.

Finn stared around the room, finally realizing what it meant for her to allow him in her room. A tingle ran up his spine. He looked around to see her sitting on the edge of her bed, a small smile on her face.

"Like it? Or are you just amazed that I let you in?" she asked, a laugh behind her words.

"Honestly? Both." That made her laugh for real. He loved her laugh. It was the most beautiful sound in the world to him. He wanted to make her laugh every single day, to hear that wonderful sound that meant she was happy.

Elsa patted the bed beside her, but he hesitated. "Come on, silly. I don't bite, and it's just a bed. It's not like I'm asking you to sleep in it with me," she said, coloring slightly as she finished her sentence.

He sent her a roguish grin. "Why Elsa, I had no idea a lady of your stature could think such dirty thoughts."

Elsa's face reddened even more, her thoughts on the conversation she'd had with her sister the week before. "You're well on your way to being kicked out, sir."

Finn laughed. He moved to sit down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders in the process. She leaned into him, reveling in his warmth. Finn leaned his head against the top of hers and twirled a strand of her hair around a finger. Finn desperately wanted to tell her that he loved her, that he'd loved her since the day they met, but he wasn't sure she felt the same way. He didn't want to make a fool of himself. _Just keep your mouth shut, Finn. Now is not the time. It would make things incredibly uncomfortable._

"So, did you and Kristoff have a good day?"

"Yeah, it was great. Very relaxing. We barely uttered a word; only had one good conversation. Just sat there all day, fishing. Enjoying the quiet."

"Really? What did you talk about?" Elsa felt him stiffen against her, and she looked up at him to see an extremely guilty expression on his face.

"Uh, nothing."

"Your face says differently."

"Really, Els, it was nothing."

"Hmph. I suppose it's a secret then?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Elsa laughed. "Alright then, I won't pry. It's only fair I suppose, since I wouldn't tell you what Anna and I talked about either."

They sat there in silence for a while, Elsa still leaning up against Finn. Eventually, he felt her jerk beside him. She had fallen asleep and jerked awake when her head started to slip off his shoulder. Finn chuckled.

"Els, I think it's time for bed." She nodded, then wrapped her arms around his neck and slid her legs over his, climbing into his lap.

"Carry me."

"Els, you were already on the bed."

"Wrong side."

Finn laughed. Shaking his head, he picked her up, walking to the other side of the bed. Shifting her in his arms, he reached out and flipped the covers back a bit more, then gently set her down. He winked at her before tugging off her shoes and grabbing the covers, pulling them up to her chin. He reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, lingering a little longer than was necessary.

Elsa blinked. _That was quite the caring gesture. _"Finn, I…" She paused, still unsure. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but… _I just can__'t! I know he won't feel the same._ Elsa sighed. "Never mind."

Finn frowned a little, but didn't ask. He walked to the door, opening it a crack. Turning around for just a moment to take one last look at her, he sighed. "Goodnight, Elsa."

"Goodnight." A pause as the door shut behind him. "I love you," she whispered.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello all! Sorry to leave you with that last chapter! We still have a bit before Finn and Elsa get together, so here's a bit more torture for you ;) mwahahaha**

* * *

Chapter 7

Lunch the next day was a peaceful affair. Elsa was alone for once, but she didn't mind. She'd spent so much of her life alone that she was quite used to it. She needed a little bit of alone time every now and then, a little bit of quiet. Her brain worked best when it was quiet.

Spooning some soup into her mouth, Elsa thought about the day before. She had never had so much fun. It was rare that she took days off in the middle of the week, but there just wasn't a whole lot going on right now. She didn't even have much to do today. She was struggling to find something to fill her afternoon with.

Just as she had another spoonful of soup halfway to her mouth, a door behind her burst open, slamming loudly against the wall. Elsa jumped, sending the spoonful of soup across the table.

"What on earth?!"

"ELSA! Oh my gosh, Elsa I have to tell you something."

A slightly annoyed Elsa, her heart still racing from the scare, just scowled at her sister. "What, Anna?"

In response, Anna simply held out her left hand for Elsa to inspect.

"What is this ab- oh my goodness! Anna! You're engaged?!"

Anna nodded so frantically that it looked like her head might fall off. "YES!" she squealed, bouncing up and down in place. "He asked me this morning!"

"Anna, that's wonderful!" Elsa stood up to wrap her sister in a hug, lifting her off her feet a little. "I'm so happy for you," Elsa said, a huge grin on her face.

"Have you finished lunch? I already have some ideas for the wedding, and I wanted to talk to you about it, if you're free."

"Yes, yes, I'm free. But shouldn't you be with Kristoff? You know, celebrating?"

Anna waved it off. "Oh, he had to go on an ice harvesting trip. He left just after lunch. I think he knew I'd be like this, and he planned to go up into the mountains after proposing," she giggled.

Elsa laughed. That didn't surprise her at all; it sounded just like Kristoff. She actually thought he had the right idea. Anna was a bundle of energy. "Alright. Let's go sit in my study."

* * *

Elsa trudged up the stairs to her room, rubbing her temples. She had spent the rest of the day after lunch talking with Anna about her upcoming wedding. They had stayed in the study the entire time, having dinner brought to them. _Anna must have been planning this wedding for months in her head. She had ideas for almost everything!_

The wedding was set in December, two days before Christmas. Elsa thought it was entirely possible that the wedding and reception combined with the Annual Christmas Ball might just empty the coffers. They decided to throw the two together, since Anna sounded so excited about having a wintry wonderland for a wedding. They had planned as much as they could, writing down the details and making a list of things to do. There was still a lot of planning left, but they had accomplished a lot.

Chuckling to herself, Elsa rounded a corner, looking down at her feet as she made her way to her door. She was so lost in thought that she almost passed it, but stopped just in time. The guard at the door chuckled. Elsa looked up to see Finn standing at the door, his pressed guard uniform making him look rather dashing, as usual.

"Oh, hello Finn. I suppose you find it funny that I almost walked past my own door?"

He smiled at her. "You looked rather preoccupied, Your Majesty."

"Indeed. Anna kept me quite busy all afternoon. I assume you already know what she kept me busy with?"

He put on an exaggerated thoughtful expression. "Let me guess…wedding preparations?"

"So you did know! Is that what you and Kristoff talked about yesterday?"

Finn looked at the floor, grinning a little. "Yeah, it was. I knew he would want it kept a secret. Plus, I wanted Anna to be able to tell you, and see the look of surprise on your face."

"Well, it was sweet of you to keep it a secret for him." Elsa rubbed her temples again, inhaling through her nose.

"Are you all right, Els?" he asked. She looked up to see his eyes full of concern.

"Just a headache."

"Have you taken anything?"

"No, but I'm sure I can sleep it off. That usually works."

He looked like he didn't believe her. Elsa wondered for a brief moment if the concern in his eyes was more than friendly. Finn rubbed the back of his neck with a hand. "Are you sure? I can send for a servant to bring you some medicine."

Elsa smiled at him. "It's alright. I'll manage. I'm just going to go straight to bed."

"Well, if you change your mind, I'm right out here."

"Thank you, Finn. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Els." He watched her close the door behind her, not entirely convinced she was all right. She had a pinched look about her, as if she'd been holding in the pain for hours. Her face had a slight green tinge to it. She looked sick. He resolved to tell the guard that was going to come to replace him that he would handle the next shift. Even if he didn't get any sleep, it was worth it to make sure she was all right.

About thirty minutes later, the guard showed up. It was Lars. Finn nodded to him. "Hey man. Look, I'll take your shift for the night."

"What? Are you sure? You've already been here for a few hours, and I have until six tomorrow morning."

"I'm sure. She didn't look very well when she went to bed, and I…" Finn trailed off, realizing that he was revealing himself with those words. Lars grinned widely at him.

"Oh, I see. Trying to play the hero? Think that will work to gain her affections?"

"Shut it."

Lars chuckled. "Well, if you're sure, it'd be great if you took it for me. I did double last night and barely got any sleep."

"I've got it. You go catch up on sleep."

"Thanks man!"

Not even five minutes after Lars had left, Finn heard quick footsteps in Elsa's room and a door being thrown open. Sticking his ear to the door, he listened for any sound that would tell him what was going on. He wasn't about to barge in there if she just had to pee, but he was afraid she was sick. Sure enough, the sound of retching reached his ears. Shaking his head, he jogged down the hall, looking for the bell pull that would wake a servant. A few minutes later, Gerda came striding into view, a robe wrapped tightly about her.

"Finn! What is it? Is something wrong?"

"The queen has taken ill. She told me before retiring for the night that she had a splitting headache. Do you think you could bring some medicine up for her? Perhaps some tea as well?"

"Of course. I'll be right back."

"Thank you, Gerda."

Turning around, Finn walked to Elsa's door and knocked. "Els? It's me. I'm coming in." He gave her a couple seconds and then turned the handle, slipping inside and pushing the door closed behind him. He found her sitting on the floor, leaning against the door frame to her washroom. She was even paler than normal, and sweat pebbled her brow. Finn frowned, concerned. _Elsa never sweats. This can__'t be good._

"Elsa, are you all right?" he asked, kneeling down beside her.

She shook her head minutely, her lips pressed into a thin line. She didn't trust herself to speak just yet. She was afraid she'd retch again if she opened her mouth.

Finn walked into her washroom, grabbed a rag, and wet it. He wrung it out carefully before returning to Elsa's side. He pressed the cool washcloth against her forehead and she sighed. After a few minutes, in which Finn had to wet the washcloth again twice, Elsa finally opened her eyes.

"Thank you," she mumbled, still feeling slightly nauseous, but not quite as much.

"You're welcome. Do you think you can stand?"

Elsa nodded and made to stand up, but her knees were so weak that they couldn't support her weight. She would have crashed back to the floor if Finn hadn't caught her. In one fluid motion, he swept her into his arms. Walking over to the right side of her bed, he gently set her down.

"I sent Gerda for some medicine and tea. She should be back up here any minute now."

Just as he finished his sentence, they heard a knock on the door. "Your Majesty, I've brought some tea and medicine."

Finn looked quickly at Elsa, who had her lips pressed tightly together again, and answered for her. "Come in."

Gerda opened the door, a tray balanced in one hand. Closing the door behind her, she made her way over to the bed. Finn scooted to the end of the bed so Gerda could get closer to Elsa. She pulled the stopper out of a small bottle and handed it to Elsa.

"Drink up, it will settle your stomach. I have another here for your headache."

Elsa downed the contents, waiting a few seconds before taking the next bottle from Gerda and drinking it as well. She sighed, leaning back into the pillows. "At least my stomach isn't roiling anymore. That worked wonderfully quick. Thank you Gerda."

"There's some tea here as well, Your Majesty, when you feel up to it."

"Thank you. It will be a few minutes before I think I can handle anything else though."

"Alright. I'll leave this up here. If that medicine hasn't worked in about thirty minutes, let me know and I'll bring you another bottle." Her stern, motherly tone of voice made Finn chuckle slightly.

"I will. Thank you again, Gerda. Go get some sleep. I'll be fine."

Looking at Finn, Gerda said, "If she's not better in thirty minutes, call me. I know she's too stubborn to do it herself."

Finn laughed, "Of course, Gerda." He looked to Elsa to see a half-smile on her face at Gerda's words. He watched her leave the room before turning back to Elsa.

"Don't worry, we won't have to call her back. If you don't feel better in thirty minutes, I can fix you right up. Does your stomach actually feel better, or were you just trying to appease her?"

"It's much better. But my head is still pounding."

"Would you like another cool washcloth?"

"Please."

Finn headed back to the washroom for another damp cloth. Returning to her bedside, he placed the cloth on her forehead again. "I knew I should have called for Gerda earlier."

"I really did think it would go away. But it was hurting so badly that I couldn't fall asleep."

Silence stretched between them, Finn periodically returning to the washroom to wet the cloth again. After a good twenty minutes, Elsa felt well enough for some tea. He poured her a cup and handed it to her, watching to make sure she didn't show any signs of throwing the tea back up. Ten minutes later and Elsa's head was still pounding, the medicine not having any affect on her headache.

"Lie back, Els. I'll get rid of it for you."

"You can do that?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Sure can. Just lie still. Where does it hurt the worst?"

"Temples."

"Alright. Close your eyes and relax." Placing two fingers to her temples, Finn opened up to the magic within himself. Feeling his need, it came to the call, warmth flowing through his fingers and into Elsa's pained head. She sighed at the instant relief, heat sweeping through her that took away the pain. It felt as if a swarm of tiny bees had entered her head, but it was pleasant. Her skin felt warm where Finn's fingers came in contact with her. When he removed his fingers, she opened her eyes and looked up at his smiling face.

"That…it's completely gone," she said, awestruck.

"Yeah…I would have done it earlier, but I can't heal a sick stomach, and I was afraid the warmth would trigger your gag reflex."

"Finn, have I ever told you that you're amazing?"

Finn looked down at his lap sheepishly. "No, I don't believe you have," he said quietly.

"Well, then, you're amazing. Unbelievably amazing."

A huge grin broke out on his face. "Thank you." He reached out again to brush her bangs out of her face. He ran a couple fingers across her forehead, trailing them down the side of her face to her jaw. He rubbed his thumb across her cheek, before letting his hand fall back to his lap. Her neck erupted in goosebumps at his touch.

"I'm not half as amazing as you, though." He stared at her bright blue eyes, captivated. They were almost glowing in the moonlight that was filtering in through her window.

Elsa swallowed past a lump in her throat. She exhaled and then cleared her throat, trying to find her voice. "Thank you," she whispered.

Finn sat there, staring at the beautiful woman lying in front of him. All he wanted to do was kiss her senseless, but he knew that would be crossing a line. _We__'re just friends, Finn. Get a hold of yourself. And keep your brain out of the gutter, you filthy man! _Finn had just realized that he had spent all of this time with Elsa, and she was only in her nightgown. He blushed, looking back down at his lap. _Time to go, time to go. _

"I think I'll resume my post, if you're all right now?" Elsa nodded. "I can't quite keep an eye on things if I'm not out there. If you need anything, Els, anything at all, you call for me. Alright? I'll be out there for the rest of the night. I took the next man's shift so that I could make sure you were okay."

"Thank you, Finn. I'll let you know if I need you."

"Pleasant dreams."

Elsa let out a shaky breath after he had shut the door. She had nearly lost it there again. She knew what her body was wanting, what it kept responding to him like that for. She was horribly embarrassed that her thoughts had even gone that far. She just couldn't help it. He made heat flare up in places that were not decent to mention. _Get a grip, Elsa! This is Finn you__'re thinking about. Ugh._ She certainly would have pleasant dreams tonight.


	8. Chapter 8

**Ahhh! I love this chapter. I used to hardcore ship Kristelsa, but I've come to thoroughly love Kristanna. Just makes me happy :D and there's some good Finn/Elsa stuff in this chapter as well, of course. Lots of fluffy incoming! Also, thank you all sooooo much for all the love! You are all awesome! ~hearts~**

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Chapter 8

The morning two days before Christmas dawned bright and cold. Anna had told Elsa to make sure there was a light snow cover, but to keep snow from actually falling. Elsa normally wouldn't mess with nature, but this _was_ her sister's wedding. She wanted everything to be perfect for Anna. So, the night before, Elsa made sure to bring in a light snowfall, blanketing the kingdom in a soft, clean white.

Just after lunch found Anna pacing restlessly in a room just off the chapel, already wearing her dress. The ceremony was due to start in about thirty minutes, and she felt like it wasn't possible to be more nervous. Her stomach twisted in knots, and she couldn't be still for the life of her. _Oh, oh, oh. This is it. Whew. Calm down, Anna. It__'s okay. Deep breaths._

"Anna, dear, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet," Elsa said, smiling. She understood why Anna was so nervous; she would likely be just as nervous if this was her instead.

"Just…shush, Elsa. I'm trying."

Elsa paused for a minute. "You look beautiful," she said quietly. It was definitely true. Anna's dress was a beautiful ball gown, with a tight bodice that was covered in an intricately designed crystal-beaded lace. The full, ruffled skirt fell from the waist gracefully, pooling slightly at her feet. Her shear underdress shimmered in the flickering light, dotted occasionally with tiny crystals, coming to slight points at the wrists. She had never looked more beautiful.

Anna blushed, looking down at her dress and unnecessarily smoothing down the skirt. "Thank you."

"Everything will be perfect, don't you worry."

"I know…it's just…nerve-wracking. And, well…I wish…" She sighed, then looked up at Elsa, tears starting to pool in her eyes. "I wish Papa could be here."

"Oh Anna…" Elsa stood up, wrapping her arms around her sister and squeezing hard. "I know. But Grandpa Tom was more than happy to escort you, and you know Papa is here in spirit."

"I know…it's just…I just wish he could see this. I hope he's proud."

Elsa pulled back, her hands resting on her sister's shoulders. "I _know_ he's proud."

Anna gave Elsa a watery smile, dabbing at her eyes to keep from messing up her makeup. She took several deep breaths. Elsa could see a look of determination on her face. _That__'s the Anna I know and love._

Just then, Captain Tomas knocked softly, entering the room. Anna rushed to him and buried her face in his chest, hugging him tightly. Tomas wrapped his arms around her.

"You are so beautiful, dear one," he said quietly. "I'm _so_ happy for you."

"Grandpa, thank you so much for doing this for me."

He smiled down at her. "Anna, thank _you_ for honoring me by letting me do it. I'm more than happy to walk you down the aisle." He stepped back, holding her at arm's length. "Your father would be proud."

A single tear slipped down Anna's cheek. "I hope so."

Tomas gave her one last hug, just as a servant appeared in the doorway. "Your Highness, they're ready for you."

Anna glanced at Elsa, as if asking for last minute support. Elsa walked over to her sister and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "You'll do great, snowflake," Elsa whispered, using her old nickname for Anna.

Anna gave her sister a small smile and then nodded her head. The two exited the room and entered the foyer of the chapel. Elsa waited until they told her to walk, then proceeded down the aisle. She glanced up at the front of the room to see Finn standing beside Kristoff as best man. Elsa smiled at him on her way to the front.

Finn was struggling to keep a raging blush off his face. It wasn't normal for him to redden so easily, but he had never seen Elsa look more beautiful. Her dress was made of a crimson satin, it's only embellishment being a small crystal brooch on the top of the single, wide shoulder strap. The neckline was appropriate, but low, and the dress fit snuggly, flowing gently down to the floor. She had on a sheer underdress that sparkled slightly in the lantern-light, much like the one her sister wore. Even when Anna had made her way up the aisle, on the arm of the Guard Captain, Finn would still swear that Elsa was the most gorgeous thing in the room.

The ceremony was beautiful. Anna and Kristoff simply radiated happiness, and everyone in the room had smiles on their faces. You just couldn't help it. The couple exchanged rings and vows, Kristoff looking so solemn and happy that it made Anna want to burst into tears. When the priest told them they could finally kiss as husband and wife, the sentence was barely out of his mouth before Anna practically bowled Kristoff over in her haste to kiss him. The audience chuckled slightly while they clapped and cheered.

The ceremony may have been beautiful in spirit and emotion, but the decorated ballroom and Great Hall took everyone's breath away. Elsa had outdone herself. The rooms were a gorgeous display of Christmas and winter. Several large Christmas trees dotted the space, ornaments hanging on their branches and a slight frost dusting them. Snowflakes hung in the air, slightly enlarged so that you could see their beautiful designs. The windows were swirled with frost, and hundreds of small, flickering candles dotted the crimson-draped tables.

Anna ran over to Elsa, her eyes watering, and practically crushed the queen in a hug. "Elsa, it's _beautiful_. This is incredible!"

"Oh, it was nothing," Elsa said, smiling. "Now go, enjoy yourselves. And congratulations. I'm so happy for you both."

The party lasted well into the evening. Just after nightfall, Elsa gave Anna one last surprise. A light, pleasant snow began to fall outside, where many of the guests had made their way into the gardens to enjoy their refreshments. There were oohs and ahhs at the sight, and Anna grinned broadly at her sister before making her way over to Elsa again.

"You wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that it just started snowing, would you? At exactly the perfect moment?"

Elsa shrugged, not looking her sister in the eyes. "I dunno, I think it might have just happened."

Anna smirked. "Uh-huh. I'm sure." She leaned over to give Elsa a kiss on the cheek, then leaned in even closer to whisper, "Well, I think it's beautiful. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Anna then proceeded to drag Kristoff off for another round of dancing. Elsa chuckled at the slightly exasperated look on his face. They had been dancing almost all night long. Speaking of dancing…

A voice behind Elsa made her jump slightly. "Would you care for a dance, Your Majesty?" Turning around, Elsa saw Finn, his hands clasped behind his back, and a silly grin on his face. He knew she didn't dance, but he was determined to get her onto the dance floor at least once tonight.

"Finn, you know I don't dance. And I didn't think you knew how."

Finn looked down at his feet, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Well…you know how you had been making Kristoff take dancing lessons? I kinda snuck in while they were going on, and his tutor ended up teaching us both. I wanted to learn how to dance as well. Turns out I have a natural talent for it," he said proudly, puffing out his chest.

Elsa laughed. "Well, I'm impressed. But that doesn't mean I'll dance with you. Even if you know how, I still don't dance."

"Do you know how?"

"Well, of course I know how," she spluttered, slightly offended. "What kind of queen would I be if I didn't know how to dance? Father had Kai teach me when I was young. I'll have you know that I'm a wonderful dancer."

"Well then, what's the reason for not dancing?"

"Well, I…I…" Elsa stuttered to a halt, not sure what excuse she could give. The truth was that she was afraid, afraid of hurting someone. She'd never been comfortable with touch, and dancing required quite a lot of that. Not to mention, she had to dance with men, and that made her even more uncomfortable. _But this is Finn__…_

"Exactly. Come on, we're dancing." Finn grabbed her by the hand and began dragging her to the dance floor.

"Finn! Wait, please!"

He heard the panic in her voice and stopped, turning around to look at her. She did indeed look panicked. Her eyes were wide in fear, and she was doing her best to tug her hand out of his grip. Walking closer to her, Finn placed his hands on her arms and leaned in close to her.

"Elsa, it's just me. Finn. There's nothing to be afraid of. You won't hurt me, or anyone else." He looked her in the eyes, trying to show her that he was confident in her, that she would be all right.

"I…" Elsa looked up at Finn, his eyes shining with… _Wait__…is that…? No, no, it can't be. _Elsa shook her head to clear it. She took a deep breath before looking back at Finn. "Alright…I suppose one dance wouldn't hurt."

Finn grinned brightly at her, taking her hand once more and leading her onto the dance floor. A whisper of murmurs broke out at their entrance. No one had ever seen the queen dance before. They all knew she refused everyone who asked her. The general assumption ended up being that there must be something special about this man, if the queen accepted his invitation to dance.

Finn put a hand to her waist, grasping one of her hands with his other, and began leading her around the room. His hand tingled as she emitted a light frost. Elsa was tense and rigid, her body showing just how nervous she was.

Finn leaned in, whispering in her ear. "Relax, Els. You're doing fine." He saw her take a deep breath, and his hand began to defrost.

She chose that moment to finally look up into his eyes. It was either a grave mistake, or the best thing she had ever decided to do, and she couldn't decide which it was. His smile reached all the way to his eyes, and they shone with happiness. She lost herself in his gaze, her instincts taking over as they danced around the ballroom. It turned out that they were both naturals, moving around the dance floor with little concentration, but never missing a step. They were easily the most graceful pair on the dance floor.

After a minute or so of silence, they struck up conversation, still gliding effortlessly around the room. They ended up staying on the dance floor for several more songs. At one point, Elsa and Finn waltzed past Anna and Kristoff, Anna looking at Elsa as though she'd grown a second head. Anna had never been more confused in her life. _I have _never_ seen Elsa dance. Wow, she__'s good, too. And so is Finn! How did he get so good at dancing?_

"Kristoff, look at them! I've never seen Elsa dance. Ever. And Finn! Where did he learn to dance?"

Kristoff grinned, looking down at his new wife. "He took lessons with me. He's got a natural talent for it; he always showed me up during our sessions. The tutor taught him a few of the more difficult dances, because he picked up on it so quickly."

Anna smiled broadly, an idea starting to form in her head.

Elsa hadn't realized how much fun dancing could be. She'd learned how to dance simply because her father required it, and she'd never really enjoyed it. But this…this was fantastic. Finn was a wonderful dancer, almost better than she was. The music slowed to a stop, and they with it, waiting on the next piece to start. Elsa saw Anna dart over to the musicians out of the corner of her eye. _Oh dear__…_

When the music started up again, it was different. Most of the couples looked up in surprise, and then made their way off the dance floor, as it was a dance that was generally more difficult that what most usually danced to. After a couple seconds, every couple was off the floor except Elsa and Finn. Elsa's gaze flitted around the dance floor before coming back to a rest on Finn.

"Do you know this one?"

"Indeed, I do, Your Majesty."

"Well, aren't you just full of surprises tonight?"

Finn led Elsa to the middle of the dance floor, placing a hand back on her waist. They stepped into the music, their footwork light and quick, but graceful. The guests had all gone rather quiet, the music and the couple's steps being the only sounds heard. Elsa was quite aware that it was thought of as a fairly romantic dance, and she flushed a little. Their movements flowed with the music, their steps and turns so graceful that it made a few people stare, open-mouthed.

When the song ended, Elsa and Finn were pressed close together, their hearts beating rapidly and their faces flushed a bright red. Elsa's ears were ringing slightly, and so it took her a minute to notice that everyone was clapping and cheering for them. She stepped back from Finn and blushed harder, looking down at the floor. He smiled at her, taking her hand. He spun her out to the side, and bowed while she dipped into a curtsy.

Elsa exhaled, still flustered. _I think it__'s time to quit now…I'll get Anna back for that some day._ She pulled Finn off the dance floor quickly, before another song could start up. They made their way to a refreshment table, both picking up a glass of wine. Elsa saw Anna making her way towards them, and she scowled slightly, before taking a gulp of wine in a rather unladylike fashion.

"Elsa, Finn, that was absolutely the most beautiful and romantic thing I've ever seen," she gushed, smiling broadly. Kristoff looked at Finn, grinned, and then chuckled.

Elsa took another sip of wine, her face still uncomfortably hot. "Yes, well…" She cleared her throat. "Umm, thank you."

Kristoff moved to clap Finn on the shoulder, congratulating him on such a splendid dance. While they were slightly distracted, Elsa leaned over to her sister and whispered, "I _will _get you back for that one day."

Anna looked pleasantly confused. "Whatever are you talking about, dear sister?"

Elsa scowled again. She set her wine glass down on a table behind her before frosting her hands over slightly and raising them to her cheeks. "Ahhh, that feels better." Anna giggled at her, making Elsa's scowl deepen. "It's not funny, Anna."

"I beg to differ," she said, still giggling.

Looking over at Finn, Elsa saw that he and Kristoff were now watching them, a slight grin plastered on both of their faces. Elsa groaned, removing her hands from her face.

"Come on, Finn, I fancy a walk in the gardens."

"Of course, dear," he said with a wink. Elsa's flush immediately returned in full force. Anna burst into laughter behind them, and Elsa pulled Finn away quickly, trying to escape all the embarrassment. Unfortunately, that seemed impossible. On their way out, Elsa and Finn were stopped by at least a dozen people, who all wanted to let the queen and her dance partner know that that was the most beautiful dance they had seen in years. Elsa politely thanked everyone and practically ran to the door leading outside once it was finally in sight.

The cool night air reached their faces, and Elsa let out a sigh. The light snow that was falling peppered her skin, quickly relieving Elsa's flushed face. Finn linked his arm with hers and led them to a secluded area of the gardens, suspecting that Elsa wanted some privacy. They finally reached an unoccupied area of the gardens, and sat down on a bench that was facing a small fountain.

"That was a beautiful dance, you know. For not ever dancing in public, you sure have quite a talent for it," Finn told her.

"You do, as well. I must say, you're much better than Kai was when I was learning to dance. I suspect there's not a person that's touched that dance floor today that could have rivaled what we just did."

Finn chuckled. "I believe you might be right."

Silence washed over them, the snowflakes that were falling gently from the sky slowly turning their hair and shoulders to a frosty white. Elsa leaned her head on Finn's shoulder, looking up at the stars filling the night sky. Elsa had managed to calm down by now, a feeling of peace replacing her earlier edginess. The two sat outside for the rest of the night, neither one of them once getting cold.


	9. Chapter 9

**Guys, you are all the best, really. Thank you all soooo much for all the favorites, follows, and reviews! Makes me happy :D Here's a good content chapter for you. And promise I won't tease you much longer! Might see some action next chapter ;) cheers! Enjoy!**

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Chapter 9

A warm breeze swept through Arendelle, bringing with it the promise of summer. The sails of a ship just beginning to pull out of the docks unfurled in the wind. Finn sat atop a low wall, staring out at the water, watching how it reflected the early morning sun. It had now been a year and a half since he had come to Arendelle. _Since I fell in love with a beautiful, wonderful woman. I can__'t go much longer without letting her know how I feel. Nothing has ever felt so right._

Sighing, Finn rose to his feet, jogging back up the docks and towards the castle gates. Nodding to the man on guard, he passed through and turned to the right, heading towards his quarters. He wanted to freshen up a bit before he met Elsa.

Turning the handle to the room he shared with his friend, Henrik, he walked inside, shutting the door behind him. Crossing to his desk, Finn took out a small razor blade and mirror. He walked to the water basin and propped the mirror up against the rim. Wetting his face and rubbing in a little soap, he set about shaving off the week's worth of stubble that had grown.

The door opened again and Henrik walked in. He was a stocky man, a good head shorter than Finn. His short, chocolate brown hair stuck up all over the place, and his smiling green eyes took in Finn's state of dress with a laugh.

"Shoulda known. Gotta look pretty for your woman, eh?"

"Shut it, you."

"Right, right, gotta concentrate. Don't want to mar that baby face of yours with a cut." Henrik chuckled.

Finn just rolled his eyes. Henrik looked and sounded like a grizzly bear, but he acted more like a teddy bear. Finn had been friends with him ever since joining the guard, and not a day went by where he wasn't thankful for Henrik's friendship. He was a good ten years Finn's senior, and the respect that most men had for him helped Finn out immensely. Finn's skill at arms had made him somewhat of a target among some of the men, and Henrik was always quick to defend him.

The animosity hadn't lasted long, however. Finn quickly gained the respect of almost every soldier in the guard. He had risen quickly up the ranks, and now served as lieutenant, directly under the captain himself. There was talk among the men that Finn could easily become the youngest Guard Captain. Secretly, Finn hoped that he would at least get the job one day. The thought of heading up the group of men whose sole purpose was to protect the royal family felt right to him.

Finn wiped his face clean, checking his reflection in the small mirror once more. "You know, Henrik, you shouldn't mention Her Majesty in such an informal manner," he said, a hint of humor in his eyes.

Henrik snorted. "Alright, fine." He looked at Finn, smirking. "So when are you going to tell her you love her?"

Finn's razor clattered to the floor, and he bent quickly to pick it up, trying to hide his sudden flush. "I haven't a clue what you're talking about."

Henrik let out a booming laugh. "Come on, boy, I see the way you look at her. You've fallen for her, hard. And if I'm not mistaken, it happened a long time ago. Nothing to be ashamed of though," he said with a toothy grin.

Finn sighed, knowing he couldn't deny it. "Alright, alright. I just…I don't know. I'm terrified she doesn't feel the same way. And what good would it do? It's not like I have a chance with her anyway."

Henrik walked over to Finn and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Now you're making even less sense than you were when you denied it. Haven't you seen the way _she_ looks at _you_? Every man in this guard could tell you that she's fallen just as hard for you. And this whole 'not having a chance with her' nonsense. It's a load of poppycock. There's no law that says she has to marry a royal, even if it _is_ what's most common. Trust me, lad, you've got a hell of a lot more chance than any prince that walks through these gates."

Finn's stomach lurched at the word 'marry'. "Whoa, who said anything about marriage? I haven't thought that far ahead yet!"

Henrik chuckled. "Yeah, but you and I both know it's what you want in the end."

_Curse you, Henrik, and your ability to read people._

"Okay, alright, I'll tell her. I just…there are some things I need to do first."

"Of course, lad. Take your time. She'll wait for you," he said with a wink. Finn groaned.

* * *

The soft trickle of a fountain could be heard from Elsa's place on a bench in the garden, where she sat waiting for Finn. She shuffled her feet, making patterns in the gravel. It had been much too long since their last day together. She hadn't seen much of him in a few weeks, not even outside her door at night, where he was usually a regular.

The crunch of gravel beneath shoes brought her head up sharply. She turned on her seat to see Finn walking towards her, looking as handsome as ever. His soft green shirt hung loosely about him, the short sleeves showing off his thickly muscled arms. He had been well-cut before joining the guard, but he was even bulkier now. Elsa felt her cheeks growing hot. It had been a long time since she'd seen this much of his skin. _I thought I was done with being like this! Ah, why did you have to wear that shirt, Finn?_

"Finn!" She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. He laughed and picked her up by the waist, spinning them around.

"Morning, Els," he said, smiling. He couldn't help but think of Henrik's words at her reaction to his arrival. His heart fluttered as he thought of his plans for the day.

"So, my beautiful queen, how has life treated you these past weeks?" he asked, adopting a rather silly posh voice.

Elsa pulled back from him and shoved him playfully. "Oh, stop it. Life's been fine, you know that. I seem to spend all my time reading the most boring documents, but I'm used to that by now. How has everything been going with the guard? Why haven't I seen you in so long?"

He grabbed her hand and started walking them through the garden. "Well, I've been studying under the captain a lot more now. He seems to be training me to take over, which I definitely wouldn't mind at all. That's why I haven't been outside your door at night in a while. He's taking me off the regular postings so that I can follow him around and learn what he does."

"Really? That's wonderful. You know, he is planning to retire."

"What? How do you know that?" he asked, shocked.

"Well, I am the queen. He submitted his retirement for approval just last week. But please, don't tell anyone. I think he wanted to inform the men on his own."

"Of course, of course. You wouldn't happen to know who he's suggested as his replacement, would you?"

Elsa's eyes sparkled with amusement. "You certainly won't be getting that information from me, good sir."

"Oh, come on! Just give me a hint. Does he have stunning good looks? Gorgeous gray eyes?"

Elsa laughed and shoved him again, before pulling Finn to a stop. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest, breathing in his scent. Not for the first time, she thought of how much she loved the way he smelled. It was so…comforting.

"Oh, Finn, I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, Els." He hugged her tightly for a few minutes. "Come on, I have something sort of special planned today." He led her to the stables, asking the stable boy to harness Roar and Einar, Elsa's chestnut colored male.

"Where are we going?"

Finn just smiled at her. "You'll see."

They stopped by Elsa's favorite bakery on their way out of town, grabbing some food for lunch. Finn stored it in his saddle bags, then led them out of the village and into the surrounding forest. The day was warm, but the shade of the trees and a slight breeze made their travel comfortable. Finn had spent many hours in these woods with his fellow guards on patrol. It was on one of those trips that Finn had discovered the place he was taking Elsa.

They rode in silence most of the time, occasionally making a comment or two. Finally, Finn turned off the path and into the trees. Elsa couldn't see anything that distinguished where he chose to turn at first, but then she saw the faint trail winding through the brush. Einar turned to follow Roar, and Elsa glanced at the forest surrounding them, trusting her horse to guide her. The ground was mostly a mixture of leaves and pine needles, the trees standing close enough together that not much sunlight reached the forest floor. Here and there were small patches of grass, dappled with light from the gaps in the leaves.

Elsa looked in front of her again just as they passed through a small gap in the mountains. She let out an audible gasp. They were in a large bowl-shaped clearing, the edge of it a sheer drop off the side of the mountain. A lone tree stood in the middle of a sea of waving grass. She heard the roar of a waterfall, and rode up close to the edge, looking to the left. A massive torrent of water was pouring off a nearby cliff, down into the river below. She could see Arendelle clearly in the distance.

"Finn, this is beautiful."

"Isn't it? I thought you'd like it here." They stared out at Arendelle for a few minutes, taking in the breathtaking beauty of the view before them. "Come on, let's unsaddle the horses and set up under this tree."

Elsa dismounted and led Einar away from the edge of the cliff, tethering him in the middle of a large patch of grass. Finn unsaddled the horses, hanging the saddles on a low-slung branch of the tree. Then he grabbed a blanket from his saddle bags and spread it on the ground. Elsa pulled out the food, and they sat together, eating their lunch quietly.

Elsa sighed, still in awe at the view before her. She had never been this high up before. It was unnerving and exhilarating at the same time.

"You've outdone yourself, Finn. This is, by far, the most beautiful place I've ever been."

Finn chuckled. "I dunno, that ice palace of yours is quite stunning."

"Oh, gosh, that's nothing compared to this. There's something special about the things that nature makes."

"That there is." Finn leaned back on his elbows, stretching his legs out in front of him. "A wonderful way to spend the afternoon, don't you think?"

"Yes," Elsa said quietly. They sat there for a while, enjoying the peace and quiet, the view, the beauty of it all. Finn was silently steeling his nerves. He was about to delve into something that he'd never talked about before, with anyone. _Elsa has a right to know. No, I _want_ her to know._

"Els. There's something that I want to talk to you about."

Elsa turned to face him, the serious look on his face making her slightly nervous. "Alright…" she said, unsure.

"It's…this is going to be hard. I'm not even really sure where to start. But I want you to know where I'm from…my past…what I've done. I'll be honest, it's not pretty. I'm ashamed of how I used to live my life. But, well…I want to tell you. I _need_ to tell you."

Finn took a deep breath, trying to still his already-shaking hands. Elsa took one of his hands in her own, gently rubbing a thumb over the back of his hand. He gave her a small smile before starting his story.

"When I was a kid, I was…well, how do I say this…rebellious, I guess. My father was a farmer. We lived a good ways out from the village, on a couple acres of land. We had a good flock of sheep that served as the main source of our income. My father wanted me to follow in his footsteps, to be a farmer like him. But I couldn't think of a job that I'd enjoy less. He tried to pressure me into it, but that just made things worse. I started spending more time out in the woods, away from my parents."

"I'd make myself a toy sword out of a stick in the woods and whack at imaginary enemies. I wanted to be a soldier. The few times I had been to the village, the guards always impressed me. I wanted to be just like them. As I got older, it turned from play into real training. I would sneak to the village some days to watch them train, then I would copy their movements in the woods at home. I was neglecting my duties on the farm, but I didn't care. I was enjoying my freedom."

Finn shuddered, clenching his jaw. Elsa noticed his mood go from impassive to completely sullen. She gripped his hand tightly. "You don't have to do this, Finn."

"Yes, I do. I need this." He took a deep breath before continuing. "One day, my father was out on a hunt with a few other men from the village. A large herd of deer had been sighted. It was enough food to feed several families for months. He couldn't pass it up. I was supposed to escort my mother to town that day, in my father's place. She had some wool to sell for the upcoming winter. But, I decided it would be a better idea to run off into the forest and practice at swordplay," he said with disgust.

"She…there was a group of bandits. They…" Finn release Elsa's hand and gripped at his hair with both hands, the tears coming hot and fast. "They killed her, Els. And I wasn't there! I could have saved her! My magic could have healed her! I could have stopped it! I could have-"

He broke off as Elsa pulled him into a hug, cradling him in her arms. She murmured soothingly into his ear, rubbing his back affectionately. She held him as he cried, letting her actions speak for her. _I__'m here for you, Finn._

Slowly, Finn pulled himself out of his grief. Breathing deeply, he sat up, drying his face. The relief he felt at finally uttering those words was almost tangible. He stared out at Arendelle for a moment, before finding his voice again.

"My father, he…he blamed me for Mother's death. He yelled at me, cursed me, even hit me. He told me to leave and never come back. I ran out into the woods. I thought that Father was just having an emotional breakdown. He'd be okay soon, and I could come back. I had to tell him I was sorry. But when I returned, it was to find his dead body hanging from the rafters of the barn."

Elsa raised a hand to her mouth, horrified.

"I had nothing else to live for there. So I left. That was when I was fourteen. I took up with a gang of thieves, for the sake of staying alive. I needed the food, and they offered. I was too grief-stricken to even bother caring that what they did to get the food was wrong. I spent ten years with them, roving, stealing from families with children, men on the streets like us, women who were too careless with their things. I can't even begin to describe how ashamed I am of myself."

Elsa put a comforting hand on Finn's back. She had known he'd lived a rough life before coming to Arendelle, but she hadn't quite imagined this.

Finn took a shaky breath, pushing on. "I remember my last night with them as if it were yesterday. We were told to go steal some sacks of flour from this family on the outskirts of a village. They had several, and we were to get as much as we could carry. It sounded like a normal job. What we weren't expecting was for the family to defend themselves. There were three of us, and two of them, a boy and his father. They fought well. One of our guys went down, and the other fought off the boy. The father came at me, and I did what came naturally. I defended myself, but…"

He clenched his jaw, looking down at his hands. "I killed him, Els. I killed a man. All for a few sacks of flour." More hot tears escaped his eyes.

"In that moment, I saw my dead mother, lying broken on the trail to the village. I had become what had killed my mother. I was ashamed of myself, terrified of what I had become. So I fled. I left the group, traveling for months in the woods. The winter that I bumped into you in Arendelle was only four or five months after that."

He fell silent, staring at the ground. A few tears still trailed down his cheeks. Surprisingly, he felt better than he had in years. It felt wonderful to finally get all that off his chest. Confiding in Elsa was one of the hardest things he had ever done, but it was worth it. He took a deep breath, then released it, and with it he released all of his mistakes, his regrets, his fears. He let it all go.

"Finn…I won't say that some of what you did wasn't horrible. It was, and I know you know that. But I will tell you this," Elsa took his face in her cool hands. "Your mother's death was not your fault."

He blinked back a few more tears, still staring into Elsa's eyes. Instead of the revulsion he expected to see, he saw only love and kindness in her eyes.

"And Finn…this doesn't make me think any less of you. The man you are now is nothing like the troubled boy you once were. I promise. You will always, always be my best friend. Nothing can change that."


	10. Chapter 10

**Alright, so I just realized a bit ago that I left you on an...interesting...note last chapter. Ha, quite unintentional I assure you. So here's the rest of that little outing! This picks up right where we left off last chapter. Love love love this chapter! Hope you do too :D ~hearts~**

* * *

Chapter 10

"_And Finn…this doesn't make me think any less of you. The man you are now is nothing like the troubled boy you once were. I promise. You will always, always be my best friend. Nothing can change that."_

She released him, her hands falling to her lap and letting out a hollow laugh. "I suppose I can sympathize with you. That fear you felt, the fear of yourself, that is something that has been a part of me my whole life." Elsa looked down at her hands, twisting them together nervously. "If you've been honest with me, I suppose I should be honest with you."

"Els, you don't have to-"

"No, like you said, I think I need to. I've never told anyone this before." Elsa took a few deep breaths, staring out at the glorious view they had. The sight calmed her, if only slightly. "You remember me telling you that after the accident when Anna was young, I was locked away in my room?"

Finn nodded. His heart thumped loudly in his chest once before quieting back down. He was nervous about hearing this. Something told him that this wouldn't be a pretty story.

"Well…those thirteen years, they were the worst of my life. I remember the first day of my isolation like it was yesterday. I didn't understand why my father didn't want me to come out of my room. I tried everything. I cried, I begged, I pleaded with him to let me out. I tried bargaining with him, did everything I could to convince him that I was safe to be around, that it was an accident. But he was firm in his decision. I spent that entire afternoon huddled in a corner of my room in tears."

Elsa let out a slow breath, trying to calm her nervous, slightly sick stomach. "The next few weeks were awful. I still tried to convince my father to let me out, but I stopped the first time he yelled at me. After that, I gave up. The worst part was Anna, though. She didn't understand what was going on. She came to my door every day, for hours at a time. She would use every tactic she could think of to try to get me to come out. But I couldn't. Father even forbade me to answer her when she came to the door." Elsa looked down at the ground, tears already starting to form. The temperature around them was dropping rapidly.

"He was…rough with me. After the first time that he yelled at me, it only got worse. There were a few times when he would come in my room, during those first few months, and he yelled the entire time. I think he was just scared of me, and that was how he showed his fear. It got to the point where I was terrified of him. I flinched every time he spoke. And I was having a harder time than ever controlling my powers. They leaked out any time he was near me."

Elsa drew in a shaky breath. "Eventually, things escalated beyond him just yelling at me." At that sentence, snow started to fall thick and fast. Elsa swallowed past a lump in her throat. She opened her mouth to continue, but no sound came out. She closed it, swallowing again. _Ah, this is hard. So hard._

Finn thought he knew where this was going. This was why he had been nervous to hear this conversation. He had thought something like this had happened. But still, he was unsure if he was just jumping to the wrong conclusions. _Surely the king didn__'t…_

Finally, Elsa found her voice, though it was barely above a whisper when she started speaking. "It started out with just a slap or two." She heard Finn growl in anger. "He said that I wasn't trying hard enough to control my magic. I was failing miserably when he asked me to thaw the mess I'd made. He…i-it was hard enough to leave red marks on my face. That started when I was about ten, two years after he locked me away. That was the point when Mama stopped coming to visit."

Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. "I know he stopped her from coming in. She never would have left me like that. Mama loved me," she choked out.

Finn wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him so that she could feel his warmth and comfort. Elsa reached up to wipe a few tears from her face before continuing.

"It didn't take long before his slaps became harder. When I was around fifteen, he started using…other methods of punishment. I think he…well, I think a small part of him went slightly crazy. He frequently told me that he was trying to 'beat the monster' out of me. I think that was around the time he started to drink heavily."

Her breathing was ragged. Snow piled up quickly around them. Elsa was struggling to tell this tale. It was difficult to admit that her father had abused her. A small part of her still felt that she'd deserved it, and that she should keep quiet about it. But most of her was just crying for release.

"There were a few times that he came in completely drunk. Those nights were…horrible. I still remember them vividly. I have nightmares about them all the time." Her tears were flowing freely now, rolling down her face in waves. "Finn, he…it was terrifying. And it _hurt_, not just physically, but mentally. Why…why would he do that?" she said quietly, a sob escaping her lips at her last words. She was gasping for air now, heaving with sobs.

Finn pulled Elsa into his lap, wrapping his arms around her and holding her as close as possible. A small blizzard raged around them, but he didn't care. She buried her head in his chest and wept. His shirt soon became damp with her tears, freezing quickly in the wind and snow. She clutched at him, grasping his shirt tightly in her fists. She cried for a long time, crying harder the more time passed. Her muscles started to shake, quivering from being clenched and tightened for so long. Finn rubbed her back softly, his cheek pressed to the top of her head.

"Elsa, shh. You need to calm down. You're going to make yourself sick if you keep crying like this." He rocked her back and forth gently, still rubbing her back in small circles. "Take a few deep breaths, Els. Slow, deep breaths."

She complied, her muscles still shaking. Eventually, she quieted down, tears still rolling down her cheeks, but silently now. Every now and then, she would tremble violently against him for a few minutes, her muscles still recovering. After a while, she was still. The blizzard around them slowed to a gentle snowfall. Her tears stopped, and she sunk into Finn, utterly spent. Finally, she found her voice again.

"I think I was afraid of my father more than I was afraid of my powers, of myself. That's…that's saying a lot."

"Is this why you don't like being touched?" he asked, stroking her hair as she rested against him.

"That's part of it. My powers have a lot to do with it too. I'm not sure you understand how special you are. I've never let a man touch me like I let you. I've been slightly terrified of men ever since my father started hitting me."

"I'm honored, Els."

Elsa took another deep breath, feeling lighter than she had in years. She never realized how much this secret took out of her. Letting Finn know what had happened when she was a child had released so much tension, so much built-up pressure.

"I know what has been driving my nightmares, what has been keeping me from getting rid of them, though they have become less frequent. I've been so full of fear my whole life. Fear of my father, fear of myself, fear of my powers. Fear of hurting anyone. I just…it's so hard to let go of the fear, Finn. So hard. It's the reason that I haven't…" Elsa paused, taking a deep breath. _Here we go_. "It's the reason that I haven't…well…" Elsa ran a hand through her hair, sitting up in Finn's lap. "Finn, I'm still afraid that I'll hurt you." A few more tears escaped her eyes.

Finn realized what she was trying to say, and his heart leapt with joy. "Elsa…you won't hurt me. I know you won't. Look at me." She turned towards him, their faces inches apart. He looked into her eyes, a heartfelt love for her shining in his own. His heart ached for her, for all that she had been through, and was still going through. Finn reached up and gently wiped her tears away. He smiled warmly at her, before his eyes darted to her lips.

_Kiss her._

His heart thumped madly at the thought. His eyes flicked back up to hers for a moment. He could see the want in her eyes, the need to be comforted. Placing a gentle hand into the hair behind her ear, his thumb on her cheek, he pulled her to him and met her lips with his own. The snow around them abruptly halted.

Elsa thought her heart might have stopped. He kissed her gently, trying to convey a multitude of emotions and thoughts. His lips felt warm against hers. Instinct had her wrapping her arms around his neck, threading her fingers into his soft black hair. She pulled him closer to her, raw emotion filling every fiber of her being. Her breath caught in her throat when he ran his tongue along her bottom lip. She opened up to him, letting him explore her mouth with his tongue.

Finn thought she tasted like peppermint, a soft breath of wintry freshness. He pulled back after a few minutes, only to trail wet kisses down her jaw and onto her neck. He kissed down to her exposed collar bone and back up, planting a few on the soft spot behind her ear. She moaned, dipping her head to capture his mouth with hers once more. Finn tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling her even closer. His pulse thrummed loudly in his ears. Just as he felt himself begin to harden, he pulled back again, resting his forehead against hers. _Whoa now, this is just the first kiss. Calm down. There__'ll be no romping with the queen in the woods._

Elsa's breath came in quiet gasps. Her heart was pounding frantically in her chest. Her previous train of thought had long been forgotten. She felt like her brain had been turned to mush. Closing her eyes, Elsa tried to gain some semblance of composure. Neither of them noticed that the snow had completely melted, a warm summer breeze returning to the clearing.

"Elsa."

"Hmm?" was all she could manage in response.

"I love you."

The words startled her, crashing into her ears like waves from the ocean breaking onto the sand. Never, in her whole life, had she ever imagined she would hear those words ever again from anyone but Anna. This time she was certain, her heart had stopped, skipping quite a few beats in its pleasure. Elsa opened her mouth, trying her best to find her voice.

"I love you too, Finn."

As she uttered those five simple words, layers upon layers of grief, fear and torment lifted from her shoulders. A tear slipped down her cheek out of sheer happiness. She felt like she had been born again. Pleasure swelled within her, and she felt as if her heart might burst from the love she felt for the man who held her. She relaxed in his arms, letting her head sink to his shoulder. He pulled her closer, hugging her to him as he stared out at the late-afternoon sun.

"I suppose we should get back. It's getting late, and I'd rather it not get too dark before we make it back," Finn said eventually, stroking Elsa's beautiful hair as he spoke.

"This has been an absolutely wonderful day, Finn. Really. I think we both needed this."

"Yes, I certainly needed that kiss," he joked. "And it looks like the snow needed it too."

Elsa laughed, looking around at the clearing that she had frozen and then thawed in the last hour. She stood up, holding out a hand to help him up. They saddled the horses and rode back to Arendelle in silence, both of them still thinking about all that had occurred that day. It was fully dark by the time they reached the stables inside the castle gates, and Elsa's eyes were drooping in exhaustion. Crying always took a lot out of her, and she had cried harder today than she had in a long time.

She slipped from Einar's back, stumbling slightly as her feet hit the ground. Finn steadied her with a hand to her shoulder.

"Are you all right?"

She nodded and yawned, attempting to cover it behind her hand and failing. "Just really tired. I almost fell off Einar about five times on the way home."

Finn handed the reins to the stable boy, then turned around and whisked Elsa into his arms. She squeaked in protest. She had intended for it to come out a bit louder, but her sleepy body was refusing to cooperate.

"I can walk, you know," she said sleepily, snuggling into Finn's chest, her eyes already drooping shut.

Finn chuckled quietly as he felt her breathing slow to that of a peaceful slumber. He walked to the doors of the main castle, the guard at the door, Lars, giving him a knowing smile before opening it to let them in. Finn scowled in return. He wound his way up a few flights of stairs and down a few hallways before finally coming to a stop at her door. Seeing that Finn's hands were full, the guard at the door quickly opened it for him, Finn shutting it softly behind them with his foot.

Crossing to the bed, he deftly flipped back the covers and laid her down, gently tugging off her shoes before pulling the covers up. He sat on the edge of the bed for a few minutes, watching her chest rise and fall as she breathed. He brushed a few strands of hair out of her face before bending down to place a soft kiss on her forehead. He rose quietly and walked to the door, taking one last look at her before easing it shut.

Several minutes later, he had reached the door to his room. He reached for the handle, but paused, listening. Henrik was still awake. Finn sighed quietly. _That bastard waited up for me, just to see how it went, I know it._ Resigned to being pestered with questions, Finn pushed the door open.

Henrik smiled at him from his bed. "So, how'd it go?"

Finn just smiled. "Lots of tears." He laughed at Henrik's bewildered expression.

"I told her about my past. She shared hers. A lot of…unpleasant things…happened to both of us. It was freeing to let it all out. But it hurt a little too. Though I think it hurt her more than me to spill the details."

Henrik nodded. "You'll both feel better for it, I'm sure. But that's not what I was asking, boy!"

Finn laughed, shaking his head. "You're a hopeless romantic, you know that? Yeah, yeah, alright, I told her."

Henrik waved his hand, prompting Finn for more. "And..?"

"Right after we kissed."

Henrik's face broke into a wide grin. "That's how you do it, lad. That's how you do it."

Finn just shook his head again. "You're pathetic," he chuckled.

* * *

**Ahhhh the fluff! Gah. And as for Elsa's father, I've had it in my head for a while now that it would be a possibility. If you think of the time period, wouldn't they be absolutely terrified of her magic? It would be something unclean, unholy. And a common way that people deal with fear is to lash out. Not that I think her father was a bad person, and this certainly isn't canon. But anyway, just felt that it was entirely possible and wanted to show that side of the situation.**

**Aside from all that, THE FLUFF. Finn and Elsa's first kiss! Squeeeee. About time I stopped teasing you all, yes? Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks again for all the love and support! ~hearts~**


	11. Chapter 11

******So, I went back and re-uploaded every chapter, simply to fix several minor grammar mistakes. No content changes, just stupid stuff like misspelled words and the like. Also, t**his chapter is kinda short, and for that I apologize! It's really a transition chapter, but still has some good, fluffy content. Hope you enjoy! More coming tomorrow, as usual! Once again, thanks for all the love!

* * *

Chapter 11

A bright shaft of sunlight fell across Elsa's bed and onto her face. She groaned and pulled the covers up over her head. _Wait, covers? How did I get here?_ Slowly, the events of the previous day came back to her. Her memory stopped shortly after they arrived at the stables though. _I must have fallen asleep in his arms._ She giggled at the thought, pushing the covers back off her face.

The memory of their kiss the day before washed over her, bringing a flush to her face. She had never been kissed before, having never let anyone get that close to her. She almost felt bad for teasing Anna about kissing Kristoff, now that she knew what it felt like. A pleasant heat swept through her veins. She smiled to herself, feeling uncharacteristically giddy.

A knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts, but she couldn't quite wipe the silly grin off her face. "Come in."

Anna walked in, carrying a tray with tea and biscuits. She bumped the door shut with her backside, not looking at Elsa, concentrating instead on the tray in her hands. "Good morning, sleeping beauty. It's quite late, you know. You don't usually sleep past sunrise." Setting the tray down on Elsa's nightstand, she finally looked at her sister. "Goodness, Elsa, what on earth put that adorable grin on your face?"

Elsa giggled, pulling the covers up over her head again. Anna blinked in surprise. _Elsa _never_ giggles. What in the world could have happened? Wait__…she was with Finn yesterday…No way! They didn't…oh my gosh!_

Anna spluttered in her haste to question Elsa, making a couple of indecipherable sounds before finally finding her voice. "Elsa! Did you and Finn kiss?"

The lump under the covers moved slightly, mumbling. Anna attempted to pull the covers off her sister, but Elsa held on tight, only letting her bright blue eyes come out from under the covers. Anna growled, exasperated. "Elsa, come on, did you?"

Very slowly, Elsa nodded, her forehead turning scarlet in her embarrassment. Anna squealed and bounced on the bed, yanking back the covers with more force than Elsa had thought possible for someone so small. Anna grabbed her by the hands and squealed again.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so happy for you! So tell me about it, how was it?"

Elsa flushed even more, heat creeping up her neck. "It was…nice."

"Oh come on, that's all you can say? 'It was nice'?"

Elsa groaned, grabbing a pillow and stuffing it over her face. _Is this what it feels like to die from embarrassment?_

"Ugh, Anna, what do you want me to say?" she asked, her voice muffled from the pillow over her face.

"Seriously? How long did it last? Where'd he kiss you? How'd it make you feel? How-" Anna broke off as Elsa smacked her with the pillow.

"Anna, I am _not_ giving you that much detail." Anna pouted, poking out her bottom lip. Elsa groaned again. "Look, I…it was…well, it was amazing," Elsa said quietly. "I've never felt anything like it before."

Anna grinned broadly at her, pulling Elsa up into a sitting position before tackling her in a hug. "I'm so happy for you." Elsa laughed and hugged her back, burying her head in Anna's neck. It felt wonderful sharing this with her sister, even if it was a little awkward and embarrassing to talk about.

Anna pulled back, tucking a strand of Elsa's hair behind her ear. "Alright, I suppose that's good enough." She smiled again, and looked to the tea and biscuits sitting beside them. "Would you like some breakfast? I had Gerda prepare it so I could…" Anna stopped suddenly. The tea had made her think of something, something she had to ask. She bit her lip, a tad nervous.

Elsa didn't like the look on her sister's face at all. "Anna, what's wrong?"

"Uh, Elsa? I _really_ don't want to make you any more uncomfortable, but…" Elsa raised an eyebrow at her. "No, really, I don't! It's just…well…ugh, this is awkward. You and Finn didn't get a little…um, heated…did you?"

Elsa blinked a few times, confused. When it finally dawned on her what Anna was asking, her face burned with humiliation, flushing a brilliant red. "Anna! For goodness' sake, no! Why would you even ask that?!"

Anna winced. "I'm sorry, it's just…You've already had to work through one scandal, what with freezing the country and all, and I just didn't think you needed another one. There's a tea you can drink, it'll keep you from…becoming with child. I-I just wanted to make sure you didn't need it, I promise."

Elsa fought back a smile at her sister's thoughtfulness, as she was still mortified that Anna had even asked. "N-no, I don't need it. I promise."

Anna giggled suddenly at her sister's face. "I really wasn't trying to make you more uncomfortable, but your face was absolutely hilarious, so it was worth it."

"I just love how my love life is so entertaining to you," Elsa said sarcastically. "Look, let's eat breakfast already before I die of embarrassment."

* * *

Finn walked around the armory, struggling to keep a stupid grin off his face. He kept reliving the previous day over and over in his mind. He couldn't believe that he had kissed the queen. And she had kissed him back. Quite thoroughly. Shaking his head, he resumed his inspection of the armory, checking the weapons for any nicks or dents.

He heard a door open behind him, and turned to see the captain walking towards him. The man was tall and broad, with short-cropped gray hair. His weathered skin pulled taut over thick muscles earned from years of guard duties. Despite his gruff looks, the captain was a kind man, his pale blue eyes having a sort of charm, a sparkle, to them.

"Finn," his deep voice rang out. "I'd like a word with you in my office. If you're almost finished here, that is."

"Yes, sir. Just checked the last of them. All in order." Finn followed the captain to his office, slightly nervous. He was wracking his brain, trying to figure out if he'd done anything wrong. His face paled at the thought of the night before. _Lars. He saw me carrying Elsa inside. What if the captain found out? What if he thinks that looked a tad scandalous? Oh boy__… I'm _so_ in trouble._

Finn chewed on his bottom lip, and walked in the door to the office, shutting it behind himself. The captain glanced at him, taking in Finn's pale, nervous face, and chuckled.

"Relax, son. I didn't ask you in here to punish you."

Finn visibly relaxed, curiosity taking over in place of fear. The captain sighed, sitting down behind his desk. He shuffled a few papers in his hands, then ran a hand over his short, stubbly hair. Finn thought he looked more than a bit exhausted.

"Finn, I'm getting old. A bit too old for this job. I've spent the past thirty years of my life serving the royal family, and the last twenty serving as captain. It's been quite a journey. And I've loved almost every minute of it." He sighed again, relaxing into his chair and looking across the desk at Finn. "But, all good things must come to an end at some point. And my end as captain is nearing. I've put in a request for my retirement."

Finn swallowed, slightly nervous now. He was sure he knew what was coming. "Sir, it's been an honor serving under you. I hope retirement serves you well."

The captain gave him a small smile. "You don't quite realize the talent you possess, I believe. You're a bright young man, Finn. I've never seen anyone climb the ranks so quickly. I've also never seen anyone gain respect from every man in the guard so quickly. I told the queen in my letter who I thought should replace me. She sent a letter this morning, approving my selection and my resignation." He looked Finn in the eyes. "I picked you to replace me."

Finn blinked, mildly startled. He had been expecting this, but it still came as a shock, hearing the captain's approval of him, his wish that Finn take over as captain. "Sir, I…I'm honored."

The captain chuckled at his speechlessness. "You'll do a fine job, Finn. There will be a ceremony, of course. The 'Changing of the Guard Captain', as it's officially called. I'll retire, and hand over the reins to you. The queen will be there to present you with your new coat and rank, and all the guard will attend. There's usually a party afterward, held in the ballroom of the castle. It's one of the few times that the guard are all asked to attend a ball."

Finn sat there, gaping. Finally realizing that his mouth was hanging open, he closed it. "Sir, truly, I'm honored. I'll serve Queen and country to the best of my ability, I promise you."

The captain raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you will. Speaking of the queen…" He let silence hang between them for a few seconds, causing Finn's face to pale once more. The captain's deep laugh echoed off the walls.

"It's alright, son. I just want you to know that I've watched the young lady grow from a babe in her mother's arms to the woman she is now. I don't have any children of my own, Finn, and Her Majesty and the Princess have filled that emptiness. I'm not sure you knew this, but I spent many hours in their company. I remember hours of bouncing them on my knee, keeping Anna out of the guard training grounds, teaching Elsa to shoot a bow…so many fond memories. Their grandparents were both gone by the time Elsa was five, and I believe I came to fill that role. So you see, I care for her, Finn. I love her with all my heart. And I'll not see her hurt. By anyone."

Finn caught the meaning behind his words. It was a subtle threat. _I wonder if he knew the king abused her._ "Sir, I think that's one thing you'll never have to worry about with me."

"Finn, I don't just mean physically. You break her heart, and I'll make sure you live to regret it."

Finn gulped. "Yes, sir," he said quietly. Steeling himself, he forced his next thoughts from his mouth. "But I don't think you have to worry about that either. I love her, sir. I could never break her heart."

"I know you do. Speaking of, where did you run off to all day yesterday? I seem to recall that the queen was missing as well," the captain said, smirking.

Finn ran a hand awkwardly through his hair, grinning sheepishly at the captain. "Ha, Lars told you what he saw last night, didn't he?"

The captain boomed out another laugh. "That he did. Quite chivalrous of you, carrying the queen to her chambers. Lars said the poor girl was tuckered out."

"Yeah, she…she fell asleep in my arms." Finn smiled to himself, looking down at his lap. He heard the captain chuckle again.

"You're a lovesick fool, Finn. But a good one. Just remember what I said, son. Take care of her."

"I will, sir."

"And don't you wait too long before proposing either. She fell for you hard a long time ago. Don't make her wait much longer."

Finn blushed, scratching his head. "Yes, sir."

"Alright, alright, I'm done with you. You look like you've had to tell all the men you wet the bed, or something. Go on, go see the queen. You've got the rest of the day off. I'll let you know when I find out the details of the ceremony."

Finn stood, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "Thank you, sir." As Finn left the room, shutting the door behind himself, the captain chuckled. He looked back down at his desk, at the letter the queen had sent. He knew he'd made the right decision.


	12. Chapter 12

**Here's a fun, fluffy chapter for you all! We're almost at the end of this now. Only a couple more chapters and an epilogue after this. I'm considering doing a sequel to this, but I'll have to think on it for a while. If I did end up doing a sequel, there would be more adventure involved. But anyway, I'm working on another fic right now, and I have ideas for one more, so the sequel might be a long time in coming. We'll see :) anyway, still have a little bit with this one! Hope you enjoy :) ~hearts~**

* * *

Chapter 12

Finn bounded up the steps to the doors of the main part of the castle, the guard at the top already opening them for him. Finn gave him a small nod of thanks before bursting through the doors, into the cool interior of the castle. The guard outside chuckled before closing the doors.

Finn wandered the halls, trying to find someone to tell him where Elsa was. Finally, he saw Kai coming out of a room just up the hall from him.

"Kai!"

The man turned and, seeing that it was Finn, smiled. "Master Finn, how wonderful to see you. What can I-"

Finn cut him off, in somewhat of a hurry, though he had no idea why. "Kai, have you seen Elsa?"

Kai chuckled. "The last I saw, she was in the library with the Princess." He had barely finished his sentence before Finn charged off in the direction of the library.

Looking back over his shoulder, Finn yelled, "Thanks!"

Kai only shook his head. _The energy young people have these days._

In the library, Elsa and Anna were standing before a large window, looking out at the mountains surrounding Arendelle. They had spent the morning discussing Elsa's day with Finn. Elsa had told Anna what she'd told him. She found that it was infinitely easier the second time around, though she'd still shed quite a few tears. Anna was as sympathetic as Elsa could have ever hoped she'd be. She held her sister close, soothing her with comforting words and touches. Elsa had been terrified that Anna wouldn't believe her. But Anna just held her closer, and apologized over and over again. That still made no sense to Elsa. They had changed topics now; Anna was trying to convince Elsa to tell her more about her kiss with Finn.

"Anna, for the last time, I am _not _giving you those details."

"Oh come on, I told you about my first kiss with Kristoff!"

"Yes, but you're you. I'm not you."

Anna chuckled. "No, but you're getting better." Just then, she saw Finn enter the room. He stopped short when he saw the two standing by the window. "Well, look who it is," Anna said, smirking. Elsa spun around quickly, stumbling slightly in her haste. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Finn! I thought you were on duty to-ahh!" Finn had run at her, grabbed her by the waist, and hoisted her up in the air, spinning in a circle, a huge smile on his face. Elsa laughed as he spun her, unable to contain her goofy grin. _Love sure does strange things to people. I__'ve never acted like this in my life._

He set her down gently before him, leaning in close so that his breath tickled her ear when he spoke. "Good morning, beautiful," he husked.

Elsa shivered at his voice, her face flushing, making her sister break out into a fit of giggles. Elsa sent a quelling look over her shoulder before turning back to Finn, looking up at his dancing gray eyes. "Good morning," she whispered.

Finn leaned in to steal a kiss. It didn't last long, but it was enough to make Elsa feel as if she'd never cool off, especially with her younger sister there watching.

Elsa cleared her throat, trying to get her voice working again. "So, I thought you were supposed to be on duty today," she said, in an effort to start up conversation lest she be tempted to kiss him senseless, with Anna standing right there.

"I did, but the captain gave me the day off."

"Oh. So did you talk to him this morning?" she asked, with the air of someone trying to be casual.

Finn chuckled. "Elsa, why didn't you tell me?!"

"I wanted him to be able to tell you," she said, smiling, giving him a tight hug. She was proud of him. He was about to become the youngest Guard Captain in the history of Arendelle, and it had taken him less time than anyone before him as well. She had been thrilled when she'd received the captain's suggestion that Finn take his place, and she knew Finn would gladly accept the position.

"Uh, excuse me, lovebirds." Elsa whirled around to see Anna standing behind them, a bewildered, but amused, look on her face. "I'm sorta out of the loop here. What happened?"

Finn cleared his throat. "Our current Guard Captain is retiring. I've been selected as his replacement."

Anna squealed and ran at him, crushing him in a hug. "Oh, Finn, that's wonderful!" she gushed. He grinned sheepishly, looking over the top of Anna's head at Elsa, who just shook her head, a smile on her face. Anna pulled away, still grinning broadly.

"Ah, that's so romantic. The queen and the captain of her guard."

Elsa shoved her sister playfully, a rosy tint to her cheeks again. "Anna," she groaned.

"Alright, I'll leave you two alone. And please, not in the library," she begged playfully, ducking out the door just as Elsa threw a snowball at her face. It hit the door with a loud smack, and Anna laughed all the way down the hall.

Elsa's face was burning with embarrassment. "I can't _believe_ she just said that."

Finn chuckled. "Well, I can. It's Anna, after all." He pulled Elsa in closer, wrapping his strong arms around her small frame. She snuggled into him, breathing in his scent. She'd never felt so happy in her life, so free and full of love.

"We _could_ go up to your room, Your Majesty," he said suggestively, winking at her.

"Finn!"

He laughed, brushing a hand up against Elsa's hot cheek. "I'm kidding, relax." He looked down into her eyes, amazed at his luck. How was it possible that this beautiful, powerful, passionate woman loved _him_? He was nothing, compared to her. He loved every inch of her, from the top of her head to her toes, and everything in between. But it was her heart he loved the most.

Rubbing a thumb across her cheek, he gazed at her with an intensity that made Elsa's heart pound loudly in her chest. She stood up on her toes, closing her eyes as her lips made contact with his, wrapping her arms around his neck and spreading her fingers into his hair. The tempo of her breathing rapidly increased, heart beating in perfect synchrony with his. She shivered when their tongues met, dancing around each other with a heat-filled passion that made her head spin. She pulled back after a while, not wanting to end it but desperately needing air.

Finn's chest rose and fell rapidly as he caught his breath. He hadn't been expecting that. He leaned his forehead against hers, staring into her gorgeous blue eyes. Once he felt he was able to speak, he chuckled, placing a small kiss on her cheek.

"You never cease to amaze me, Els."

"I amazed myself with that one," she said, smiling shyly.

Finn chuckled again, pulling her into a hug. "So, what did you want to do today?"

She placed her head against his chest, his heartbeat loud and steady in her ear. She grinned into him, squeezing him tightly. "Can we go ice skating?"

* * *

As per usual, their ice skating eventually turned into an all-out snowball war. Anna and Kristoff had joined them, and they had teamed up guys against girls. Elsa and Anna won convincingly. Finn waved it off as the ladies having an unfair advantage. Elsa _could_ make the perfect snowballs, after all.

They ended up collapsed in a laughing heap in the middle of the snowy courtyard. Anna cuddled up to Kristoff, snuggling into his warmth. She was surprised to see her sister do the same with Finn. It made Anna's heart swell with pride. _She really is coming out of her shell. Finn has honestly been the best thing that__'s ever happened to Elsa. _She whispered into Kristoff's ear, telling him to look inconspicuously to his right. Anna saw him glance out of the corner of his eye, catching Elsa leaning over Finn, a laugh on her lips as he kissed the tip of her nose. Kristoff had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. He had never seen Elsa so unreserved.

Anna tugged on his hand, a lip to her fingers. They got up ever so slowly, attempting to sneak away from the happy couple. She pulled him behind a pillar at the edge of the courtyard, trying to stifle her giggles.

"What?" he asked her.

"Shall we have some fun with the new couple?" Anna waggled her eyebrows at him, grinning mischievously.

A grin spread slowly across Kristoff's face. "You bet."

Meanwhile, a completely oblivious Elsa and Finn lay in the snow, snuggled up together. Finn had an arm wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. He caressed her cheek with one hand, feeling her hum pleasantly against him.

"I can't believe we got to have two wonderful days, back to back," Elsa murmured softly, her breath tickling his neck.

"Hey, this one isn't over just yet."

"Well, I know, it's just…this has been absolutely amazing. I wish we could do this more often."

"I'll make sure we do."

They were silent for a little while, eyes closed, enjoying each other's warmth. They had completely forgotten about Anna and Kristoff. That is, until a massive pile of snow covered them both. Elsa sat up quickly, sputtering, shaking the snow out of her eyes. "Anna!"

Anna shrugged innocently and pointed at Kristoff. "Wasn't me! Blame him!"

"Hey!" Kristoff said, annoyed. "That was not part of the plan."

Elsa just chuckled at them, looking to her right to see Finn sitting up, blinking rapidly. He shook snow out of his hair, then stood up quickly, dancing around to get all the snow out of his shirt. Elsa laughed, standing up to brush him off. He pulled her into a hug, sighing when she came into contact with him; she was warmer than he was.

Finn's teeth chattered. Elsa looked up at him, frowning. "Are you all right?"

"I'm n-not immune to the c-c-c-cold like you, Your M-Majesty."

"Oh, right." Elsa hugged him closer, rubbing his back, trying to let friction warm him up. She shot a withering look at Anna, who just smirked at her. _I suppose this was the goal, then._ Grinning into Finn's chest, Elsa willed her magic to life, pointing a finger at Anna and Kristoff.

"Hey!" Anna protested. Her feet were frozen to the ground. Kristoff looked down at the ice surrounding his feet, trying to break it by shifting his weight. But it was no use, the ice wasn't budging. He looked grumpily at Anna.

"This is _your_ fault. I told you she wouldn't take nicely to being covered in snow!"

Elsa chuckled, watching them bicker back and forth. Finn had finally stopped shivering, but kept holding her close. Elsa pulled back a little to look up into his eyes, flashing him a sly smile. "Shall we give them a show?" she asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Yes, let's," he breathed, closing the distance between them. Not caring about the number of people who could see them, Anna and Kristoff included, Finn let his passion take over, if only just a little bit. He held back as much as he could, not wanting to be completely improper with the queen in public. _But then again, this was her idea._

His hands wandered, one finding the small of her back, another tangling in her hair. He pulled her closer, pressing his body up against hers, eliciting a gasp from her. For a minute they both forgot where they were, and that they were only doing this to make Anna and Kristoff uncomfortable, losing themselves in the heat of the moment. Anna's voice brought their pleasure to a halt.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay, I'm sorry! Please, just stop, I'll do anything! Totally don't want to see my sister making out with her boyfriend!"

Elsa pulled back from Finn, her face flushed and her breathing heavy. Clearing her throat and running a shaky hand through her hair, she turned around to smirk at her sister. Where she had found the strength to, she didn't know, as most of her muscles felt like jelly. "Well, that's what you get for bombarding us with snow."

"Ugh, alright, I'll never do it again, believe me!"

Elsa laughed. She had clearly accomplished making her sister uncomfortable. Though she still wasn't certain if she hadn't embarrassed herself in the process. Kristoff was the only one who seemed unfazed by the whole event, grinning in a resigned sort of way, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Elsa? Mind letting us go?" he asked.

"Oh. Right, sorry." With a wave of her hand, the ice dissipated, allowing the two to walk freely again. Anna hobbled over to her, giving her a good shove.

"You almost froze my toes off!"

"Oh hush, you're being dramatic." Anna huffed in response.

* * *

The evening found the four of them curled up in a sitting room off the main hall, the girls wrapped up in blankets, both sound asleep in the arms of their men. Finn stared at the light dancing on the walls from the lanterns hanging above them. This had been another incredible day. He sighed gently. _Too bad it can__'t always be like this._

Looking across to the other couch at Kristoff and Anna, Finn felt a grin creep onto his face. He mouthed at Kristoff, _Is she asleep?_

Kristoff nodded. "Out like a light," he whispered.

Finn chuckled a little, looking down at the sleeping beauty in his arms. "They're something else, aren't they, Kris?"

"That they are."

They were silent for a while, listening to the gentle breathing of the girls in their arms. Finn wanted to ask Kristoff something, but he wasn't sure if Kristoff would even be able to help him. Kristoff was his best mate, but he wasn't all that great with romantic things. But, Finn was sure that Kristoff would _want_ to help him. _Ugh, why is this so difficult?_

Taking a deep breath, Finn looked back up to see Kristoff watching him, a small smile on his face.

"You really love her, don't you?"

"To the moon and back," Finn responded. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Well, I…" Finn let out a shaky breath. "This is hard. When did you…what made you realize that you wanted to marry Anna?"

"Well…I suppose it was because I came to the realization that I never wanted to spend another day without her. I love her more than anything, and I finally decided that it was time to show her that in the most public way possible. I wanted everyone to know how much I love her, I wanted them all to know that she was mine forever." He looked down at Anna for a second, smiling, before looking back up at Finn. "You want to propose?"

Finn sighed. "I…yeah…yeah, I do. I'm just afraid it hasn't been long enough. I mean, okay, I know officially it hasn't been long enough, we've only been really dating for two days now, but…"

"Finn, you're rambling." Kristoff chuckled, looking down to make sure Anna was still asleep. "Honestly, Finn, everyone knows you and Elsa have liked each other for a while now. Anna's convinced it was love at first sight with you two. It's been a year and a half since you met, and since that first day, we all knew she had eyes only for you. I wouldn't worry about being official. And I think Elsa would be thrilled if you asked."

Finn sighed happily. "Thanks, Kris." He glanced back down at the top of Elsa's platinum blond head. He rested a cheek against it, trying to sort out his thoughts. After a while, he felt her stir slightly against him. She had shifted in her sleep, trying to get more comfortable.

"I suppose it would be a good idea if we took them to bed."

Kristoff nodded in agreement. They both rose slowly, making their way out of the room and up several flights of stairs. Kristoff turned to a door on the left side of the hallway, pushing open his and Anna's door with his shoulder before winking at Finn and closing the door behind him. Part of Finn wanted to stay the night with Elsa, simply to hold her close to him all night long. But he didn't really think that was something he could do with Elsa, not yet. He wanted to at least give the appearance of being proper with her. He _was_ courting the queen, after all.

Pushing open Elsa's door, Finn walked slowly to her bed, tucking her in just like the night before. He chuckled at the thought. _Two nights in a row__…I could make a habit of this._ Rubbing a thumb across her cheek, he bent down and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"Goodnight, Els," he whispered, walking to the door. He shut it softly behind himself before heading to his quarters.

Elsa stirred slightly as she heard the door shut. She vaguely remembered a soft kiss and a whispered 'goodnight', and she rolled over, mumbling a 'goodnight' in response, before drifting off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry it took me so long to post this today! I've been packing like crazy for a lengthy vacation. The next chapter will hopefully be posted tomorrow, though it will be late if I remember to post it, as I'll be driving all day. Promise I'll post again as soon as I can!**

* * *

Chapter 13

Finn glanced out the window of his room, watching the trees blow in the gentle autumn wind. It had been a month since he had been told he would replace the captain, and today was the day of the ceremony, the Changing of the Guard Captain. He was incredibly nervous. He looked down at his impeccably clean dress uniform, staring at the four-striped chevron on the upper left arm that would soon become a five-striped one with a star beneath. A small collection of commendation bars adorned the left breast.

Exhaling, he turned around to take one last glance at his room. He would be leaving this room for a much larger one that he would have all to himself. He was promoting Henrik to lieutenant in his place, and he was going to let Henrik have this room to himself if he wanted. Glancing at his old bed, now stripped bare, and at the small desk that was now empty, Finn sighed again. _This is it. Whew._

Taking a deep breath, he walked to the door and pulled it open. Taking one last look at the room, he finally pulled the door shut before making his way slowly out of the building. He took a side hallway that led to the walkway inside the castle walls. He came to a stop at the door that led outside, just inside the castle gates. Two guardsmen were waiting for him, in full dress uniform. They saluted, and he returned the gesture. Taking one more deep breath as one of the men pulled the door open, he stepped out into the cool autumn sunlight.

Turning sharply to his right, he came to a stop just before a procession of guards, standing at attention. Every single guard was in attendance. They would fall into place behind him as he passed them and eventually take their place in the throne room of the castle. The higher ranked guards were already in the throne room, along with a small contingent of retired guard, waiting on his arrival. As the slow, regimental march started up, Finn walked slowly but purposefully towards the castle doors. The men fell in behind him, walking in formation.

_Don__'t panic, Finn. Don't panic. This is going to be just fine._ He was starting to sweat just a little. He wanted to tug at his collar, but he had to stay in form.

To Finn, it felt like his walk to the throne room took hours, but in reality it only took a couple of minutes. His heart thumped loudly as he came to a stop before the throne. The captain stood to the right of it, down on the floor just in front of Finn. The queen stood on the raised dais of her throne, directly in front of Finn. She smiled at him. Princess Anna stood to the queen's left, on the raised dais with her. She was practically bouncing with happiness.

As required, Finn saluted the captain, and then remained saluting the Arendellian flag as the musicians played the national anthem. When the song ended, he returned to attention. His thumping heart was beating so loudly that he was sure Elsa could hear it.

"Captain Tomas, the keys," Elsa said, motioning for him to transfer them to Finn. The captain pulled out a set of golden keys and made a sharp turn to the center of the room, walking slowly towards Finn. He handed Finn the set of keys, symbolically transferring his captaincy to Finn. They performed a complicated maneuver that swapped their places, Finn moving up to the right side of the throne, and Tomas standing where Finn first stood.

"Captain Tomas, I thank you personally for your thirty-two years of service to the country of Arendelle, and to my family. I also thank you for your twenty years of service as Guard Captain. I now formally retire you, giving you the official title of Retired Guard Captain." A servant stepped forward, holding a black guard's coat, the color representing the retired rank. Elsa took the coat and handed it to the retired captain, who draped it over his arm.

Tomas saluted the queen, then stepped quickly to his right, to take his place in the line of retired guard members that had attended the ceremony. Once Tomas had been retired, Finn returned to the center, directly in front of the queen.

"Lieutenant Finn, for your skills at combat and leadership, for your qualities of bravery, valor, and courage, and by the recommendation of Retired Guard Captain Tomas, I hereby promote you to Guard Captain of Arendelle." Grabbing a pendant from a servant, Elsa walked forward and pinned the medal to his coat just below the commendation bars. She then offered him his new coat, which he would change into after the ceremony. He draped it over an arm and saluted the queen.

"Serve with honor, Captain," she said, smiling at him.

"Always, Your Majesty." He did an abrupt about-face, and walked slowly down the aisle and out of the throne room. After he had exited, Elsa addressed the remaining guardsmen.

"You are all welcome to attend the celebration ball, to be commenced shortly. Thank you all for attending. Dismissed." As one, the guards saluted, and then the throne room became a tangled mess of bodies.

The retired captain came up to Elsa, smiling. "It was a wonderful ceremony, Your Majesty. I thank you once again for retiring me with honor."

Ignoring protocol and propriety, Elsa wrapped him in a hug. "Grandpa, you know I couldn't do any less for you." He returned her hug tightly, pulling her close to him and resting his chin on her head. She felt his chest rumble with a chuckle. "You have to keep coming for visits. You will, won't you?"

Pulling back, he looked down at his adoptive granddaughter with love in his eyes. "Of course, Elsie," he said, tucking a wayward strand of her hair behind her ear.

Elsa visibly relaxed. It seemed that she had actually been worried he would stop coming around once he retired. "Good," she said, sighing. She wrapped him in another hug before pulling back again.

Tomas smiled at her. "Now, why don't you go look for that new captain of yours? He looked rather dashing in his dress uniform, don't you think? I'm sure he wouldn't mind carrying you up to your rooms if you needed a quick refresher," he said, winking.

Elsa colored slightly. "You'll never let me hear the end of that, will you?"

Tomas laughed, wrapping an arm around Elsa's shoulder. "Never. Joking aside though, he's a good man Elsa. You've done well, with him. Couldn't have picked a better one."

"I think so too," she said, smiling.

"Well, go on then. And I want to see a dance between the two of you. Young Anna told me all about the dance you had at her wedding. I regret having decided to retire so early. I would have loved to see that fancy waltzing you did."

"Yes, sir," Elsa said, blushing, as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She sent Anna a slight scowl, then ran off before Tomas could tease her anymore, pushing through the crowds looking for Finn. The guards were all making their way into the ballroom, and the Great Hall and throne room were slowly emptying. Elsa made her way to one of the sitting rooms off the Great Hall. She knocked, then opened the door, poking her head in.

Finn was standing with his back to the door, his old coat pulled off and resting on the back of a chair. He held his new coat in his hands, fingering the Captain's patch on the upper left arm. Elsa's breath caught in her throat at seeing him in only his undershirt. She felt heat creep up her neck, and she quickly stepped in the room, shutting the door behind her, so that no one would see her flush. Finn turned around as he heard the door click shut.

"Els, hey." He looked down at the coat in his hands. "This feels strange."

"I'm sure. I couldn't be more proud of you, Finn."

He smiled at her. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Elsa walked up to him, placing a hand on his back. She fought back a shiver, feeling his muscles move under her hand. He turned towards her and wrapped her in a hug. Elsa buried her head in his chest. The thin material of his shirt didn't provide much of a barrier between them, and Elsa could feel warmth radiating from him. She flushed, her heart rate speeding up quickly.

Elsa pulled back, clearing her throat. "Umm, you should probably get your new coat on. They'll be expecting us soon."

"Oh, uh, right." Finn pulled on his coat, fastening the buttons down the front and wrapping his belt around his waist. He tugged at the bottom of the coat, straightening it, before stepping back and holding out his arms. "How do I look?"

Elsa smiled. "Simply dashing."

"Alright, well I suppose we should get going then."

They walked out into the Great Hall together, crossing to the doors that would lead into the ballroom. They had been shut in preparation for their entrance. A guard at the door opened it up, allowing Elsa to enter. She was announced first, as this was a celebration for Finn. After a few minutes, the guard let Finn in. At the announcement of his entrance, the guards in the room stood sharply at attention.

Finn walked to the front of the room to stand beside Elsa. "At ease! And thank you all for coming. Please, enjoy."

At that, a round of applause swept through the crowd. Finn sighed, finally relaxing a bit. _I can__'t believe I've actually made it to this point. Wow._

Tomas made his way over to Elsa and Finn. He clapped a hand on Finn's shoulder, smiling at him. "You did great, boy. You'll make a fine captain."

"Thank you, sir."

Just then, the music started up. Tomas grinned wickedly at Elsa. "How about a dance to loosen up the captain, Your Majesty?"

"You _do_ meddle, you know," Elsa said haughtily, raising her chin. Still, she grabbed Finn's hand and pulled him to the dance floor. She could hear the retired captain booming out a laugh as she pulled Finn away. Grinning sheepishly up at Finn, she came to a stop on the dance floor.

Smiling, Finn pulled her immediately into a waltz, moving elegantly around the room. There were far less couples dancing tonight than there had been at Anna's wedding, mostly because the guard had little time to learn things like dancing. The few couples that were on the floor paled in comparison to Elsa and Finn.

They danced for a few songs, conversing lightly. Elsa was becoming more and more comfortable on the dance floor. She realized that, as long as it was with someone she trusted, she wouldn't mind dancing every chance she got. It was rather enjoyable. As the song they were waltzing to ended, Elsa felt a hand tap her shoulder.

Turning around, she saw her Grandpa Tomas behind her, a smile on his face. "Might I have this next dance, Your Majesty?"

Elsa glanced to Finn, who gave a small nod, smiling at her. He walked off, leaving her in Tomas' capable hands. Elsa smiled at the retired captain. "Of course."

When the music started up, he led her gracefully around the room. He wasn't quite as good a dancer as Finn, but he was certainly better than most. "You know, dear, I do believe you've fallen quite hard for the young man."

Elsa blushed furiously, staring at the buttons on his coat in lieu of looking up at his laughing eyes. "Well…I…I suppose."

"And how on earth did this happen, might I ask? The young lady who never came out of her room, suddenly hopelessly, madly in love?"

Elsa looked up at her 'grandfather', a look of exasperation on her face. "Grandpa, will you ever stop teasing me?"

He laughed. "You're too fun to tease, Elsie. Now tell me how you met this lad."

"Well, Anna was taking me out to town. We had eaten breakfast already, and were wandering the streets when she saw someone she knew. You know Anna, she ran off to go say hello, leaving me standing in the street. Well, I stood there for a minute, letting my thoughts get the better of me, and when I started walking again, I ran right into him. I would have hit the ground hard if he hadn't caught me by the waist. The rest is history, I suppose. I spent the rest of the day with him, by Anna's orders. We became fast friends."

"Well, I just don't believe it," Tomas said, chuckling. "This shy little lady, spending an entire day in the company of a man she had just met? You do surprise me, Elsa."

"I surprised myself."

He laughed, still pulling her slowly around the dance floor. As the music came to a stop, he escorted her over to a refreshment table. "Well, dear one, I must say, it's about time for this old man to retire for the night. You dance splendidly, Elsa. I should hope that you continue."

"Only with the right people," she said with a smile.

"Would one of those happen to be me?" a voice behind her asked. Finn walked up, holding a glass of wine in one hand. He looked completely relaxed now, all of the tension gone from his shoulders.

"As a matter of fact, yes."

Finn laughed. Tomas moved over to Finn's side, whispering in his ear. After a few seconds of whispered conversation and nods, Tomas looked to Elsa.

"Do you mind if I steal this young man away for a few minutes, Your Majesty?"

"Not at all, take your time."

Tomas steered Finn out into the gardens, looking for a secluded section where they were less likely to be overheard. Stopping short at a bench surrounded by rose bushes, he turned towards Finn, a smile on his face.

"I have something for you, if you want it." Pulling a small silk bag out of his inner breast pocket, Tomas dumped the contents into his hand and held it out for Finn to take.

It was a beautiful white gold engagement ring. The main diamond was surrounded by four smaller ones, two on each side. The silvery band twisted and swirled, making a beautiful loop. It looked to be rather small. Finn stared with wonder at the ring, picking it up gingerly between his thumb and pointer finger.

"This is beautiful."

"It was Elsa's mother's."

Tears sprung to Finn's eyes. He was sure that Elsa would be moved beyond words if he were to give this to her. "How did you get it?"

"I called in a favor," Tomas said, smiling. "Their bodies were recovered a month after the ship sank. Their wedding bands were removed, along with the rest of the late queen's jewelry, and brought back to the family. Elsa doesn't know about it though, she was still isolating herself at the time. I told Kai what you planned to do, and he gladly fetched the rings for me. I have the wedding band in another bag here."

Pulling it out, he dumped the contents into Finn's outstretched hand. A beautiful wedding band fell out, one that twisted and swirled just like the engagement ring. When Finn brought them together, the two rings fit snugly within each other, the twists in the bands matching perfectly so that it looked more like one ring than two.

"Sir, I…I don't know what to say."

"I think Elsa would be extremely happy to receive this. Though, if you want to pick something out on your own, that's quite alright."

"No, no, this…this would be so special to her. I'd love to use them."

Tomas nodded. He took the rings from Finn and put them back in their bags. Then he handed them to Finn, who tucked them both into the inside breast pocket of his coat. "Wonderful. She'll be thrilled, Finn. I just want you to know that I have never seen the girl more happy than when she is with you. You don't have to worry about her answer."

"Thank you, sir." Finn hesitated, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Do you think…do you think it's too soon? If I asked her tonight?"

Tomas grinned broadly. "I'd actually say you're a little late. Finn, everyone knows the two of you were meant to be. We've all been waiting for it."

Finn sighed, clearly relieved. "Thank you, sir. Really. I don't know if I can ever thank you enough."

"Just make sure you take care of her. That will be thanks enough for me."

"Gladly, sir."

The retired captain walked off into the night, leaving Finn standing there with his thoughts for a few minutes longer. After pulling himself together as best he could and positioning the engagement ring in his right pants pocket, he walked back into the ballroom. He looked around for Elsa, finally spotting her standing near a small table, talking to her sister and Kristoff. _Oh great__…they're going to know something's up. Anna can read people like a book._

"Finn! That took long enough. What did he want?"

"Oh, nothing. Just…uh, congratulating me," Finn said, clearing his throat. That immediately caught Anna's attention. Elsa gave a small frown.

"Hmm…alright then. Well, Anna and Kristoff were about to dance one last round before retiring, would you like to as well?"

"Actually, I fancy a walk in the gardens. Would you accompany me?" Again, he caught Anna's attention. Her eyes kept flitting back and forth between Elsa and Finn. She seemed to be trying to figure out if he was planning anything. _No, Anna, no plans. I__'m flying by the seat of my pants here._

"That sounds lovely. I'll see you two tomorrow," she called to Anna and Kristoff. Anna still had a small frown on her face when they started walking off.

* * *

**Okay, I feel kinda bad for leaving you with that...but only kinda ;) mwahaha... will post the next chapter as soon as I can! Until then, ~hearts~**


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, I am soooo sorry that it took me so long to post this chapter! I went on a trip this weekend, and spent all day Friday and today driving, then didn't have internet where I was at :/ anyway, this is the last chapter! I have an epilogue to post, and that will come tomorrow. But after that, this is over :( you have all been so incredible, with the favorites and reviews, and more views than I expected for only my second fic! Thank you all so much :) this has been a blast, and has definitely encouraged me to keep writing! Love and hugs to you all! I hope you enjoy this chapter! ~hearts~**

* * *

Chapter 14

The gardens were sparkling with torchlight. Finn walked Elsa through the flowers, the sound of trickling fountains filling their ears. Stars twinkled up above, brightening the night sky with pinpricks of light. He walked all the way to the gate that separated the public gardens from the private ones. The guard at the gate gave a small salute, then opened the gate for them, admitting them into the smaller, but quieter, garden.

"Why are we coming back here, Finn?" Elsa asked, a small frown on her face.

"I know these gardens are your favorite. And I'd like some privacy, anyway." Finn smiled down at her. Strangely, he didn't feel nervous about what he was planning to do. He was incredibly calm. He had never felt more happy or peaceful in his life.

Finn escorted her over to a rounded bench seated around a small fountain. He sat down beside her, staring up at the night sky. "Els, there's something I'd like to tell you."

He grasped her hand in his own, looking down into her sparkling blue eyes. Finn took a deep breath. "You know, when I stopped at Arendelle, I wasn't even sure if I was going to stay for longer than the winter. My original plan was, in fact, to stay just long enough to be through most of the rough weather and then leave again. But I can't tell you how happy I am that I bumped into you that day, and that I decided to stay."

Elsa smiled, looking down at her lap. She remembered that day well. She was infinitely glad that he had chosen to stay. She'd had no idea that he originally planned to leave.

"When I ran into you, instinct took over. And when I took the time to look at the woman in my arms, I thought for certain that my heart stopped."

Elsa's own heart skipped a beat at his words. Her stomach was doing annoying, but pleasant, flips. She was starting to get a little nervous.

"I had never seen anyone more beautiful in all my life. To this day, I still haven't. I fell in love right then and there, Els. And the more time I spent with you, the more of you I fell in love with. I love everything about you. Your incredibly soft platinum blond hair, your stunning blue eyes, your beautiful smile. But even more than that, I love your heart, your spirit, your personality. I love your magic," he said, turning her hand over and stroking her palm. "I love who you are, on the inside."

Finn took a deep breath before standing slowly, turning, and kneeling right in front of her. He held on to her hand, now with both of his own, gently rubbing the back of her hand with his thumbs. He looked up into her shining blue eyes, smiling. Elsa put a hand to her mouth, tears starting to form as she realized what he was about to do.

"I can honestly say, Elsa, that I've never felt like this about anyone before. And I'll never feel like this about anyone else for the rest of my life. I couldn't imagine life without you, Els. You are my better half, my joy, my life." He took one hand and reached into his pocket, pulling out the beautiful ring. Tears were now sliding silently down Elsa's cheeks.

"Elsa, will you marry me?"

She was silent for half a heartbeat, before she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tighter than she ever remembered doing. She nestled her head on his shoulder before whispering through her tears, "Yes. A thousand times, yes."

Finn let out a nervous laugh, and hugged her even tighter. He stood up with her still in his arms, spinning them around. He set her down again, then pulled himself out of her grip. He brought her left hand up and slipped the small ring on her finger. It fit perfectly.

Elsa took the time then to admire the ring, and she gasped in recognition. "Finn! This…this looks just like…"

"It's your mother's," he said quietly, watching her eyes closely.

"Oh Finn…" Tears coursed down her cheeks, and she buried her face in his chest. She hadn't been expecting any of this tonight. He took her completely by surprise. But even when she realized what he was about to ask her, when he knelt in front of her, she had never thought he would offer her that particular ring. "I thought it was lost! I never…" She paused, more tears escaping her eyes.

"Your parents bodies were recovered, you know. A month after they…Well, anyway, their jewelry was all returned to your family. You were still not coming out of your room at the time, and so no one told you. I imagine that Anna knew. I also imagine that in the commotion after your coronation, no one remembered to tell you. Captain Tomas got this for me. I have the wedding band as well."

Elsa pulled back, looking up at him with a watery smile. Finn reached up and thumbed away her tears. "Finn, I think it's perfect. Thank you."

Finn didn't waste any time. Pulling her even closer, he kissed her passionately. His tongue met hers, roaming the inside of her mouth, tingling with the taste of peppermint. He kissed her more thoroughly than he ever had, his pulse accelerating quickly. He let his hands wander, threading one into her soft hair, the other trailing down her side, occasionally touching her lightly, before coming to rest at the small of her back.

Elsa's skin lit up with heat underneath her dress anywhere Finn touched her. Her pulse beat loudly in her ears. She wasn't about to let him have all the fun though. She kissed Finn with as much passion as he kissed her, plunging her tongue into his mouth with pleasure. She had one hand on his chest, the other at his back, working its way under his coat and tugging at his undershirt. She slipped a hand under it as soon as it was free of his trousers, her cool hand tingling against the bare skin of his back. She trailed her fingers up his spine, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

Finn was doing his best to control himself, but she was slowly undoing him, making his pulse race and his brain forget all reason. He scooped her into his arms, still kissing her, and sat them back down on the bench, Elsa in his lap.

She could feel the hardness of his erection beneath her, and for a second wondered what on earth they were doing out in the gardens. She pulled back from him, breathing rapidly, resting her head against his. She ran a shaky hand through his hair. Finn was breathing just as hard as she was, and as he was leaning his head against hers, he realized where they were heading. They spoke each other's names at the same time.

Elsa chuckled. "You go first."

"Els, if we don't stop now, I _won't _be able to stop," he admitted.

"What if I don't want you to?" she whispered breathlessly. She felt him throb beneath her.

Finn moaned softly. Clenching his jaw and closing his eyes, he waited a few seconds, composing himself. "Els, I…I want to do this right with you. Really."

Elsa pulled back, surprised but pleased. "You know, I do believe I picked the right man."

Finn chuckled. "Just keep sitting there for a few minutes, I need to calm myself down before I walk through the castle."

Elsa laughed at that, leaning up against him and resting her head on his shoulder. She raised her hand to her face to admire her ring again. A wave of emotion rolled through her once more, and she had to fight back a few more tears.

"Finn, I can't tell you how much this means to me. To have my mother's ring. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I thought you'd like it."

They sat there for a while longer, enjoying each other's presence, letting their earlier passion simmer down. The guests wondered for a while where their new captain had wandered off to, but upon realizing that the queen was missing as well, they simply smiled. The party went on late into the night, the queen and her captain returning eventually with smiles on their faces. No one noticed the beautiful ring sparkling on her finger, not yet at least.

* * *

Bright sunlight filtered in through Elsa's window, illuminating the room with a soft golden glow. She shifted in bed, trying to move her face out of the light. Suddenly, her eyes popped open, wide awake. She had just remembered the events of the previous evening. Smiling, she looked at the ring on her left hand. _I can't believe this is happening._

She had never expected to fall in love. She hadn't even expected to marry. Elsa always assumed that it would be Anna or her children that took the throne when she was gone. She never would have told anyone, but the thought bothered her slightly. Not because she didn't think Anna or her children would do a fantastic job. No, she knew they would have done fine. What bothered her was the thought that she would be alone for her whole life.

Elsa knew she wouldn't have been completely alone. There was Anna, of course. And there would be Anna's children, she was sure. But…if she was honest with herself, she had been jealous of Anna ever since she began dating Kristoff. Elsa had wanted to have a relationship like that, to feel loved like that. It was a different kind of love, one that Anna couldn't give her. And now she had that.

Elsa twirled the ring on her finger, still smiling. Throwing the covers off, she got up and got ready for breakfast. She amusedly contemplated getting some cotton for her ears, as she knew Anna would likely explode when she saw Elsa's ring.

Striding from her room, she walked across the hall to knock on Anna's door. "Anna? Are you in there?" A few seconds later, the door opened.

"Just finished getting ready for breakfast," Anna said, smiling. "What's up?"

"I have something I need to tell you, and I thought it best to do it away from plates of food."

Anna's curiosity was piqued. Raising an eyebrow, she stared at her sister, trying to figure out what Elsa was going to tell her before she said it. "Alright…"

"Is Kristoff in there?"

"No…" Anna was getting confused.

Elsa pushed her sister back into her room, following and shutting the door behind them. She ran a hand nervously through her hair. There was no way to do this that would keep Anna quiet, so she decided to just get it over with.

"Anna…do you remember when I said goodnight to you last night? When Finn took me out into the gardens?"

"Yes, of course. Why…" Anna trailed off, her eyes going wide. "No WAY!" She grabbed Elsa's left hand, bringing it up her face to inspect it. Upon seeing the ring, she squealed. "Ahhhh!" She grabbed Elsa's other hand and spun her around the room, bouncing and squealing and giggling and a number of other things that made Elsa wince and smile at the same time.

"OH MY GOODNESS, Elsa, I can't _believe_ it! This is wonderful!" Anna squealed again.

"Isn't it?" Elsa was smiling broadly. Her sister's enthusiasm was contagious. Anna pulled her over to the sofa in front of the fireplace, sitting them both down.

"Tell me everything," she ordered.

Elsa laughed, and then began her tale, for once submitting to her sister's wishes. She described Finn's proposal to Anna, the younger girl squealing at almost everything Elsa said. Elsa chuckled at how excited Anna was. She would never admit it, but she was just as enthusiastic on the inside as Anna was on the outside. Once she finished her story, Anna grabbed her hand and admired the ring again.

"Oh! I didn't notice! This…this is…"

"Mama's," Elsa said quietly. Tears pooled in her eyes again. She looked up at Anna, who was just as moved as she was. Anna wrapped her in a hug.

"Oh Elsa, that is _so_ special." They held each other for a while, tears silently coursing down both their cheeks. After a while, Anna pulled back, dabbing at her eyes before reaching out to brush away Elsa's tears.

"I'm so happy for you, Elsa. So happy."

"Thank you," Elsa said, smiling softly.

* * *

The news that the queen was engaged to the captain of her guard spread like wildfire. Finn couldn't ever remember news traveling faster. He had barely stepped foot out of his new room that morning before he was bombarded with congratulations. Almost every guardsman he passed clapped him on the shoulder, grinning at him.

Finn walked out of the barracks and into the morning sun. He knew he should begin the morning rounds, but he was anxious to see Elsa. Here he was, just barely engaged to her, and he already felt like a night without her was too long. He entered the castle, blinking to adjust his eyes to the much dimmer light. Glancing around, he saw a servant come out of a room to his right.

"Pardon me, but could you inform me of Her Majesty's whereabouts?"

The servant smiled. "Of course, Captain. She's in the dining hall with the princess, having breakfast. And might I offer my congratulations?"

Finn smiled. _Is there anyone that doesn't know?_ "Thank you, on both counts." He made his way slowly to the dining hall, lost in thought. When he walked through the doors, it was to find Elsa and Anna collapsed on the table in fits of giggles. He shook his head, grinning.

Walking up behind Elsa, he put his hands on her shoulders. Her head popped up at his touch, a light frost covering the table in front of her. She turned in her seat to see Finn standing behind her, his casual captain's uniform immaculately crisp and clean.

"Finn! I didn't expect to see you so early," she exclaimed, standing to give him a hug.

Finn saw Anna smirk behind Elsa's back, and he chuckled. Pulling back slightly, he placed his mouth next to her ear, whispering, "I just couldn't go another minute without seeing you." He kissed her ear lightly, sending shivers down her spine. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you as well," she breathed.

"Alright, alright, that's enough. I don't want to see any of that!" Anna said, pulling a face.

"Well, close your eyes," Elsa answered.

Finn pressed a lingering kiss to her lips, making her heart thump loudly in her chest. He pulled her into another hug, resting his chin on the top of her head. He breathed in her wintry scent, closing his eyes.

"Actually, I'm not here for long. Just came to say good morning. I do have a job to do." He smiled down at Elsa, kissing her forehead. He pulled her away from the table, walking off a few feet so they could have a touch of privacy. "Would you meet me tonight, out in the gardens? In your favorite spot?"

"Of course," she smiled.

"Good. Oh, and hurry up and plan this wedding, alright? I can't stand too many more nights without you." He winked at her suggestively, laughing when a flush rose quickly to her cheeks. He walked her back over to the table, smiling at Anna, who was stifling her giggles as best she could. Once she had composed herself, Anna stood up and enveloped Finn in a hug.

"I'm happy for you two," she said, squeezing him affectionately. "Thank you, Finn, for making her so happy. Thank you for everything. She deserves it."

Elsa smiled, looking down at the floor, touched by her sister's words. Finn released Anna and reached out to place an arm around Elsa's waist. Pulling her to him one more time, he placed a soft kiss to her lips.

"That she does."


	15. Epilogue

**This is officially the end :( several of you have shown interest in a sequel, so I might try to work on one...no promises, but it might be coming! :) this last little bit is really just fluff, so I hope you enjoy! ~hearts~**

* * *

Epilogue

Finn tugged at the collar of his suit, swallowing nervously. He had been fine before he'd put the suit on, laughing with Kristoff as they told jokes to pass the time before the wedding. But now that it was on, now that the time to walk out there and say his vows was fast approaching, Finn couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

"Kris…this is it. This is real." He paused, staring at his crisp black suit in the mirror. "It is real, right? I'm not dreaming?"

Kristoff chuckled, clapping a hand to Finn's shoulder. "It's real, mate. Trust me, you'll be all right. Might go a little weak at the knees when you see her, but don't worry, I'll catch you if you faint."

Finn shoved him good-naturedly. He took a deep breath, glancing at the clock on the shelf in the small waiting room. Barely an hour to go before it started. His heart pounded loudly. _Calm down, man. You're marrying the woman of your dreams. No more nights alone in the barracks. _He chuckled at that thought, blushing.

Captain Tomas entered the room, already dressed in his own suit. He strode over to Finn, smiling. "You do clean up rather well."

Finn gave the man a small smile. "Thank you." He let out a long, slow breath. "I can't believe I'm less than an hour away from getting married. To a _queen_."

Tomas chuckled. "Relax, son. She's always been just Elsa to you, you know that. Don't go having those thoughts now. You aren't marrying her title."

Finn nodded, shaking himself mentally. Closing his eyes, he took another deep breath. He tried imagining what Elsa was feeling right now, tried to see her in his mind's eye. He chuckled, wondering if she was as nervous as he was right then.

* * *

In another waiting room at the chapel, Elsa paced the room relentlessly. Her stomach was rolling with nerves. A light frost covered the carpet, and Anna sat shivering on a cushioned bench, the temperature in the room a bit too cold for her liking.

"Elsa, you're freezing the place."

Elsa jumped slightly, Anna's voice having brought her out of her thoughts. Shaking her head to clear it, Elsa waved her hand to remove the frost, reigning her powers back in so that the temperature rose to a comfortable degree. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I'm just nervous."

Anna stood up, wrapping Elsa in her warm embrace. "I know. Do you remember me before my wedding? I was just as nervous as you. But trust me, all the nerves will go away when you see Finn at the altar, waiting on you." Anna pulled back and smiled at her sister, grabbing Elsa's hands in her own and holding them tightly.

Elsa paled a bit at the word 'altar', the temperature dropping back down a little. Anna grabbed Elsa's face in her hands, forcing Elsa's gaze to meet her own. "Hey, hey, calm down. It's alright. Everything will go just fine, you'll see. I promise this is the worst part."

Elsa nodded and pulled Anna into another hug. "How did you do this? How did you sit through this, just waiting? I've never been more nervous in my life."

Anna stepped back, smiling. "It was hard. But, I just kept thinking of Kristoff, and imagining how happy he'd be, and that helped. But trust me, it was the most nerve-wracking moment of my life. If I remember correctly, I snapped at you a time or two," she chuckled.

Elsa smiled. "Yeah, you did." She let out a sigh, sitting down on the bench and folding her hands in her lap, twisting them anxiously. Anna came to sit beside her, bumping her on the shoulder playfully.

"I promise, it will all go just fine."

Captain Tomas came into the room just then. He smiled at his two girls, sitting beside each other. Elsa jumped up and ran to him, wrapping him in a tight hug. She was glad he had come in just then, because she was losing her tenuous grip on composure and she needed his comfort.

"I can't believe I'll have married off both my girls by the end of the day today."

"Oh, _don't_ mention it, I'm already nervous enough!" Elsa groaned.

Tomas pulled back enough to look down at her, his arms still folded around her slender shoulders. "You will do just fine, Elsa. You have nothing to be nervous about. You're marrying the man of your dreams. He loves you more than life itself, Elsa. Don't worry so much."

"I know, it's just…well, I…" She took a deep breath. "I just never expected to get to this point in life. And it still…I'm still getting used to it all."

Tomas pulled her closer to him, putting a hand to the back of her head to hold her to him. She trembled against him. "Oh, Elsie." He cracked his eyes open to see Anna sitting there, tears pooling in her eyes. He waved at her to join them, pulling her into the hug when she got close enough. Elsa wrapped an arm around her sister and continued to hold onto Tomas. She felt so much love coming from them. She took a deep breath, trying to control the tears that had jumped to her eyes.

They all separated after a few minutes, Anna leaning over to place a kiss on Elsa's cheek. "It'll all be just fine, Elsa. You'll see."

It wasn't long before someone came to the door, telling her they were ready. A jolt of nerves shot through Elsa, and she took a deep breath before nodding and walking out into the foyer of the chapel. Nerves mounting, she watched as Anna proceeded through the double doors to walk down the aisle. Anna practically shimmered in her pale blue dress, the skirt of which fell in ruffling folds to her feet. Her hair fell in one long braid down her back, sparkling with tiny diamonds. Elsa smiled to herself as the doors closed again behind her sister.

"Are you ready, Elsa?" Tomas asked, linking his arm in hers.

She only nodded, not trusting herself to speak. The doors opened, and the crowd gasped collectively as she made her way down the aisle on the arm of her adoptive grandfather. Her eyes searched for Finn, finding him standing at the front, waiting for her. His smile was radiant, and instantly she felt all her nerves wash away.

Finn couldn't help the grin that lit up his face. If he had thought she was beautiful at Anna's wedding, it was nothing to how she looked now. Her sparkling white dress was slim cut, and accentuated her tiny waist. The bodice glittered in the light filtering in through the windows, a beautiful snowy design covering it that trailed towards the bottom of the dress. She looked like fresh snow, sparkling in the bright sunlight of winter. The neckline of her dress was low enough to make Finn blush slightly, her sheer underdress not doing much to stop his imagination.

When she reached the front, Captain Tomas gave her away, Finn taking his place beside her. She linked her arm in his, and his grin got a little bit wider. When they were instructed to face each other, he smiled down at her, grasping her hands lightly in his own.

Elsa felt like she was floating on clouds. She barely listened as the priest spoke of marriage and what it means; she was too busy staring at Finn. Her eyes whisked over his tall form, taking in his crisp black suit, the pale blue cravat and vest that almost perfectly matched her own eyes, his gorgeous gray eyes that twinkled with happiness.

They gave their vows, speaking mostly on instinct, as both of them had their thoughts on other things. When they exchanged rings, Elsa's heart gave a small jolt, and tears pricked her eyes, the meaning of it all finally settling in. When the priest announced them as married, she smiled up at Finn, happier in that moment than she had ever been in her life. Finn threaded his fingers into the hair just behind her ear, pulling her close to him, meeting her lips with his own. His kiss sent shivers down her spine, and Elsa had to stop herself from letting it last longer than was proper.

The audience exploded in applause and cheers as they made their way back down the aisle, now happily married. They walked to the room that had been prepared for them to wait in, just across the hall from the ballroom, in a happy silence. Once the door had closed behind them, Finn wasted no time in pulling her to him, stealing another kiss, this one much more passionate.

After a time, they separated, staring into each other's eyes with a heart-warming happiness. Finn stroked Elsa's cheek with his knuckles, smiling at her. "I love you, Els."

"I love you too," she whispered, sinking into his arms, hugging him as close as she could.

* * *

The celebration after the wedding would go down in history as one of the greatest parties that the country had ever seen. Thousands of people had turned up for the queen's wedding, hundreds from other countries, all wishing her well in this next stage of her life. The decorations were a sight to behold as well. They had brought the outdoors in, it seemed. The gorgeous springtime gardens seemed to connect seamlessly with the ballroom, flowers filling the room with their precious scents.

Elsa found it mildly amusing that she and Anna had practically personified the other in their own weddings. Anna's had looked like the winter wonderland that was Elsa's life, and Elsa's burst with the colors of spring that described Anna so well.

Their first dance was a bit of a reminder of Anna's wedding, as well. Anna had insisted on their first dance being the song they danced so gracefully to at her wedding. Elsa complied, if only to give her Grandpa Tomas a chance to see the complicated waltz. If anything, it was more beautiful this time around. They radiated happiness as they danced, and moved a few of the guests to tears with their gracefulness and elegance.

After the first dance, they stayed on the floor for a few more songs, still basking in the afterglow of the ceremony. They waltzed to a halt with the end of the music. Elsa was about to pull Finn off the dance floor when Tomas came up to her.

"A dance, if you please, Your Majesty?" he asked, his hand extended towards her.

She accepted it with a smile, Finn walking off to get a glass of wine while she was escorted to the center of the room. She was swept into a waltz, Tomas leading her around the room with grace.

"That was a beautiful waltz earlier, Elsie. Brought tears to my eyes."

"Thank you," she said, smiling. She felt she could even endure some of his teasing today. Nothing could possibly dampen her mood.

"You know, I've never see you so happy. You've gone from an adorable, energetic little girl to a shy, timid young lady, to a beautiful, confident, strong young woman. I couldn't be more proud of you."

Tears pooled in her eyes at his words. "Oh, hush, you're going to make me cry," she said, glancing down at their feet.

"It's true! You've made incredible progress in the last two years. As dear Anna would say, you've really come out of your shell. I think I speak for everyone, including every one of your subjects, when I say that we all _much_ prefer this radiant, happy Elsa."

"Well, I believe you largely have Finn to thank for that. Though being able to let everything go has helped immensely. And not having to hold back my magic." She glanced back up at his eyes, seeing them glisten with pride.

As the song came to an end, Tomas escorted her over to Finn. He pulled her into another hug, kissing the top of her head. "I love you, dear one."

"I love you too, Grandpa."

As he was walking off, Anna chose that time to come up and congratulate the pair. Elsa could see her practically skipping her way across the ballroom. Elsa giggled, bringing a hand up to her mouth, as Anna tripped and would have fallen on her face if Kristoff hadn't caught her. She shook her head as Anna got closer, smiling.

"You have too much energy, Anna."

"Doesn't she?" Kristoff added, a reluctant grin on his face.

"Oh hush! I'm just so excited for the two of you. I cried during the ceremony, it was absolutely beautiful. You two were practically glowing with happiness." Anna pulled them both into a hug, squeezing them tightly.

"Thank you, Anna," Finn said, smiling down at his sister-in-law. _That feels weird. Sister-in-law. I can't believe this has really happened!_

The four stood together for a while, chatting amongst themselves. Finn eventually pulled Elsa off to the dance floor for a little while longer. They stayed and socialized for as long as they could bear it, receiving countless congratulations and well wishes. Finally, after what seemed like much too long to Finn, they broke away from the party and made their way up to their room. Elsa smiled at the thought. _Our room…this all feels so strange_.

When they reached the door, Elsa hesitated. Her nerves had come back now, raging in her stomach like a swarm of butterflies. Finn could sense her nervousness, and he put a gentle hand on her back, smiling down at her. Elsa took a deep breath, then nodded. Finn turned the handle and admitted them into the room, locking it behind him. Hearing the lock click made his heart thump loudly.

He walked up behind Elsa, placing a kiss behind her ear. He ran his hands across her exposed shoulders, savoring the feel of her bare skin. He felt her shiver at his touch. Moving so that he was standing in front of her, he pulled her into a hug, resting his cheek on the top of her head. "We don't have to do this tonight, if you don't want to. We _do_ have the rest of our lives, you know."

Elsa pulled back, mildly surprised by his words. _He would do that for me? How did I get so lucky? _She exhaled, looking up into his eyes, running a hand through his silky black hair. "No, it's alright. I'm a little nervous, but…well, I want this. And I _know_ you want it," she said, smirking.

"If you're sure?" he asked, wanting to be positive that she would be all right.

"I'm sure," she said, smiling at him, before pulling him down into a kiss. It turned out that she had nothing to worry about. He was exceedingly gentle with her, taking his time so that she could get accustomed to it, even though he desperately wanted to speed things up. They lost all sense of time, bodies heated with passion and fused together in a swirling tempest of emotion.

They lay together afterward, utterly spent, blissful peace and contentment wrapping around them. Elsa was curled into Finn's side, her bare skin pressed into his own, a hand on his chest. Finn wrapped an arm around her, stroking her back lightly. He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you, Elsa."

"I love you too," she murmured.

They lay there for hours, delighting in each other's presence, relaxing as a myriad of emotions pulsed through their veins. Finn eventually dropped off to sleep, Elsa still cuddled up against him. She watched the rise and fall of his chest for a while, before finally drifting off to sleep herself. Just before her exhaustion got the better of her, she had the thought that she couldn't have been happier, knowing that Finn would be by her side for the rest of her life.


End file.
